In Harry We Trust
by Captain Planet Apprentice
Summary: AU of the summer after fifth year. There will be drama, romance, and inheritances galore. Reviews always welcome.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **I'm going to post the first five chapters of this story that I've been working on. I think that I'm up to around 14 or 15 by now. If I get enough of a response to it then I'll post a little more. Reviews, and constructive criticism are always welcome.

The moonlight flitted down along the darkened suburban street. As a cloud passed over the moon and gave its full light the sign could be seen as well as a single light on in the fourth house down on the right. Number Four Privet Drive, was a most unusual household, not for what it was but for whom lived there. At the moment the three people that would be considered normal by any other standards were curled up asleep in their beds, it was this fourth intruder that had disturbed their wonderful life and their idea of pristine and normalcy.

In the smallest bedroom, the one with the light on, sat a black haired lanky boy slumped against the windowpane. It was not his baggy appearance that his relatives took offense to, nor was it necessarily the way that his hair would never be laid flat; no it was the fact that the sleeping boy of fifteen was a wizard, and a most powerful one at that. At the moment however he was merely slumped against the window asleep, snoring lightly with his glasses pushed up his face and digging into his nose a little.

Scattered around Harry were newspaper clippings from both the magical and normal world. Several had pictures that moved proclaiming titles like _He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named Returns: Potter tells Truth!_ Of course, these articles were overshadowed by others that proclaimed mysterious disappearances or odd phenomenon; most of the later occurring in the normal newspapers like the London Gazette.

Three particular pieces of parchment were stacked on top of one another, the bottom one being the most frightening that he had ever received. Not even two weeks into the summer he had gotten a rather long startling letter that were signed by all of his friends.

_Dear Harry,_

_We hope that this letter finds you well and your relatives are keeping up their end of the deal that they're not hurting you very much. Unfortunately, we feel that we may do more harm than good with this, but it has to be said. We have all gathered together and made sure that this all sounds right, but here goes._

_We don't want to see you anymore, not as a friend in the least regard. Being your friends over the past five years have put us in grave danger more times than any of us could count and while some of us, Hermione, realize that most of it was our own doing, we are still scared for our lives as well as the lives of our families. This being said, we do hope that you do well, but realize that we can no longer be close friends._

_Signed,_

_Luna LovegoodNeville LongbottomRon WeasleyGinny WeasleyHemione Granger (Reluctantly)_

The parchment was stained with tears here and there that did nothing to smear the ink, probably a charm that Hermione was able to do, and Harry could tell that some of it wasn't all his own. It was devastating to hear that his friends were abandoning him, and even more so that they blamed him for everything that had happened to them all for the last several years. After the pain of the letter had diminished somewhat he had received another letter, this time from the goblins of Gringots.

_Mr. Potter,_

_Due to the unfortunate death of one Sirius Orion Black, his will reading will commence on July the 31__st__ at 4 am. While we realize that this is slightly inconvenient, it is the only time that the department of inheritance is able to operate. As the primary beneficiary of the will, we cannot commence with the reading until you have arrived._

_May your fortunes grow daily,_

_Ragnok_

_Head Goblin – British branch Gringots_

This letter came as a small surprise to Harry; he knew that Sirius must have had a will, but he had no idea that he was going to get anything from him. Truth is told he didn't want anything that would remind him of his dead godfather. It would only hurt him more if he had to sit there and receive something that was more sentimental for the Marauders. It was the third and final letter that had given Harry a small glimmer of hope for the rest of his summer.

_Dear Harry,_

_I have received notification of the will reading for Sirius. If you are up to going I will arrive at half past three to collect you in the most discrete way possible from your relative's house. I hope that you accept my invitation, for I think that you need to find closure in his death; please accept my condolences on this as well. Sirius was a good man, and even though he is dead he will never leave our hearts. Please send back a reply as soon as you are able._

_Your Servant,_

_A.P.W.B. Dumbledore_

Fawkes himself had delivered the letter in a ball of flame once Harry was alone in his room and the door had clicked closed. He had a feeling that Dumbledore must have made Fawkes wait until he was alone before appearing. The image of the phoenix appearing in the middle of the dining room table and scaring his relatives had made him smile for a moment before he had read the letter. He wanted to go, but he didn't want to hear about everything that Sirius had owned going to someone like Bellatrix Lestrange. Scribbling out a reply he had handed it to Fawkes and watched him disappear in flames from his bedroom.

That was what found Harry pressed against the windowpane in his bedroom at nearly half past three in the morning snoring lightly. His body shifted a little when he heard a whoosh of air and his watch started to beep from a preset alarm for the hour. Groaning he started to awaken when a hand touched his shoulder; his seeker reflexes going into effect he spun around and pointed his wand at the smiling face of Professor Dumbledore.

"Still as alert as ever, Harry, very good." Dumbledore smiled gently and handed over a small potions phial that would act as the portkey in a matter of minutes. "I believe that you were expecting me, oh, and Happy Birthday, Harry."

Harry lowered his wand and put a hand on his chest to calm his racing heart. The light from his bedside table showed just how shocked that he was that his Headmaster was standing in his bedroom so early in the morning. "Sir, I'm sorry, I guess I thought that you might be a Death Eater."

"Quite all right, my own fault for sneaking up on you I suppose. I'm only glad that you didn't start throwing out curses before seeing that it was me." The old man chuckled a little and touched the phial himself. "Are you ready to go, Harry?" At a nod from the younger man he touched the phial with his wand and felt the usual pull behind the navel of the portkey being activated.

XoXo

After what seemed like ages to Harry, but couldn't have been more than a few seconds the port key deposited them on the marble floor of Gringots; Harry literally on the floor while Dumbledore was able to keep his footing and help Harry to his feet. Before both could say a word a goblin approached them and lead them through a set of marble doors down a long hallway and into a smaller conference room that was already bursting at the seams with various people.

Harry was livid when he saw some and saddened by the others that were in attendance. Off in one corner was a brooding Draco Malfoy with his mother Narcissa, whom appeared to be surveying the rest of the room with disdain; indeed it was because of some of the people in this room that Lucius was in Azkaban. Harry also noticed all of the Weasleys huddled together and talking in low tones, they didn't even look up when the door had opened. Hermione's bushy hair was among the sea of red and talking animatedly with the youngest of the Weasley clan. Sitting at the table on either side of each other were Nymphadora Tonks, Remus Lupin, and who Harry figured was Tonk's mother Andromeda. It was only the later that seemed to notice Harry come in and smiled reassuringly to him and nodded her head towards the boy.

It was the far end of the table that seemed to be set for the final guest and the goblins. Both he and Dumbledore took the last seats at the side of the table with Remus and the Malfoy's and directly across from the Tonks women. At the head of the table sat a rather surly looking goblin with white hair sprouting from his ears. Tapping his long claw on the glass top of the table to get everyone's attention he began to speak.

"Right, now that the primary is here." This elicited some stares and murmurings among the Weasley's. "We can start the will reading, as it is time is money." The goblin moved a large folder towards him and opened it slowly. "In the regards of one Sirius Orion Black, five hundred thousand galleons will go to Remus Lupin with the stipulation that he 'get a good woman and some respectable clothes.' You also receive the property at Grimmauld Place." At this a piece of paper appeared in front of Lupin, but the goblin made no note of it and continued. "To the collected Weasley's I leave seventy thousand galleons so that they might be able to do something good with themselves." Another paper appeared in front of Arthur Weasley and as he was reading it the goblin continued. "To Miss Hermione Granger, I leave the Black defense library in Grimmauld Place. 'My favorite cousin Andromeda is to receive five hundred thousand galleons with an apology as to reinstating her and her family into the Black house.' To one Narcissa Malfoy nee. Black, one knut so that 'your spoiled boy might learn something.'" This of course made the goblin smile and Malfoy fume, but he didn't interrupt. "Finally, to one Harry James Potter, everything that has not already been claimed is left to you along with the title Head of House."

This caused a complete uproar in the room and numerous people were trying to speak at once. Harry received his own piece of paper detailing everything that he had gotten from the will and ignored the voices of the others in the room. Smiling he leaned over to speak with Dumbledore. The old man chuckled lightly and nodded before leaning back to enjoy the chaos. Harry spoke briefly with the goblin and he too was smiling when he finished speaking. Talking to another the goblin sent someone outside to retrieve some more files.

In the chaos and utter confusion that reigned over the room Harry sat back and watched everything. Arthur and Molly Weasley were talking quickly about what the money could mean for their family; Narcissa was screaming at her sister about the money that she had not receive and threatening to contest the will; Hermione and Draco were screaming at each other over the usage of the Black library backed up by Ron. In fact only Harry, Dumbledore, Nymphadora, Remus, and the goblin seemed to be content with what was going on. The twins were egging everyone on, enjoying the complete spectacle that the will reading had become. Remus did eventually lean over the table to engage the young Tonks in a mild conversation, but it was nothing like the screaming around them.

A smaller goblin came back into the room unnoticed by anyone but the older goblin. Taking the stack of papers that the small goblin was trying to balance and setting them out on the table the older went through everything before sliding a piece of paper over to Harry. Having read it through he passed it to Dumbledore and after receiving a nod from the old man he signed it. Instantly the paper glowed blue, copied itself and then the original vanished from sight. This earned a raised eyebrow from Andromeda, but nothing more. Harry smiled and slid the piece of paper across the table to her, but was already on to the next by the time the paper had reached her.

Signing the second contract didn't seem to do anything, but he slid the copy off to the side and starting in on the third contract, but it was here that he was stopped. Andromeda had finished reading the paper and launched herself across the table and slammed into Harry knocking him backwards. It took a moment for him to realize that she was sobbing softly. It was this action that seemed to silence a good portion of the people there, Narcissa was stunned into silence and Nymphadora came around to pry her mother off of Harry.

"It's ok, Tonks, you should read this too." Harry patted Andromeda's hair gently and slid the contract out of her grasp to give over to Tonks herself. In the back of his mind he thought he could hear the twins snickering behind their parents. The silence in the room was again broken by sobbing, this time from Tonks whom hugged Harry and wrenched her mom off of the young man before sitting back down at the confused looks around the room Harry laughed and shrugged, looking down at the next contract, signing it and sliding the copy off to the side he looked up to see everyone's expectant looks.

"Well, come on Harry; don't leave us all in suspense. You just got a hug from two beautiful women." He could hear Fred, or George's voices ring through the silent room. Laughing the women in question blew the twins kisses that turned them as red as their hair. Harry for his part sat back and put his arms behind his head.

"It's quite simple really, as Head of the Black family, while not directly related, I have the power to accept Tonks and her family back into the Black family. Sirius was never able to do this because he was in prison." Narcissa seemed to pale slightly, but said nothing. "I have all the rights, privileges and problems of a full adult." This he directed at Hermione whose mind was already working on everything that had happened.

"Mr. Draco Scorpius Malfoy." The goblin spoke slowly from the contract that Harry had just finished signing. At this both Malfoy's seemed to pale and wait for the inevitable. "As per your family has no Head, the elder Malfoy being imprisoned, your mother's side has given the authority in the matters of your inheritance." At this both stared venomously at Harry, but he merely smiled and waited for the goblin to continue. "As of quarter after four in the morning on July the 31st, you are hereby emancipated and assume the title of the Head of the Malfoy family."

Clearly this was not what anyone had expected and Ron actually fell off his chair with a soft thump onto the carpeted floor. In a flash of green light a silver ring appeared in front of Draco, but he was too stunned to take it. Indeed, almost everyone was staring at Harry with their mouths wide open except for Dumbledore whom chuckled lightly. Leaning forward Harry took the final contract and gave it a flourish as he signed it and watched it duplicate. He then looked up pointedly towards Narcissa and saw the red glow around her before anyone else did.

No one noticed the glow but those at the end of the table, but they heard her scream and yelp. Draco rushed back to his mother's side just as the glow dissipated and she slumped sideways against her son. The wedding band on her left hand cracked and broke into pieces before falling to the floor and burning a hole in the carpet. Dumbledore raised an eyebrow but said nothing; it was Draco that broke the silence.

"Potter, what have you done to my mother!?"


	2. Chapter 2

"_Please, my Lord, I did all that I could, I even killed my cousin for you."_

"_Nonsense, I care not for your idiot ramblings. Crucio!"_

_The pain ripped through her body as she twisted and turned on the ground trying to get away from the curse, but at the same time not daring to move more than a few inches. She knew that her master would punish her more if she tried to throw it off or even to evade it. She had to take the punishment for her failure in the Department of Mysteries. Indeed the whole of the Ministry of Magic seemed to be crumbling down around them._

"_Bellatrix, you have failed your lord for the last time." The hissing voice came from above her. "Avada.." But the Killing Curse was never completed for the golden head of a house elf flew off the ground and smashed hard into the side of his body knocking him sideways._

_The woman on the ground, released from the excruciating pain of the curse stared up in disbelief. Harry Potter, eyes blazing, was striding through the destruction of the Ministry lobby; glass shards pelting behind him and balls of flame shooting within inches of his body. If she could describe it at all she would have said that he looked like the angel of death himself. Opening her mouth she wanted to scream as she saw his wand swing around and pointed at her chest._

"NOOOOOOO" She screamed in agony as she rolled around in bed. She rolled off the bed and landed on the carpeted floor in a heap of blankets exposing a little of her naked flesh.

Sitting up quickly and pulling the sheet up to hide herself a little more she stared around at her surroundings. It was her bedroom all right, the black draping over the bed and the mahogany wood paneling on the wall was certain of that. She remembered that she was staying with her sister for the moment while her husband was out on duty for her lord. It was this last thought that brought the nightmare back to her. Voldemort had tried to kill her for her failure, but ended up bringing her back to his base of operations; he had sent her to Malfoy Manor to hideout in shame, but only after he had tortured her senseless.

Shivering she remembered the dream and the torture afterwards; she wasn't sure what scared her more now, the look on Harry's face or the fact that she had nearly died from her master's own wand. Wiping the sweat from her forehead with her left hand she noticed something missing. Her wedding band lay scattered on the floor in several pieces, staring at it in shock she realized something else. When had she thought of Harry Potter in friendly terms?

XoXoXo

Draco Malfoy was having a fairly all right day just up until his mother shook him awake and ordered him to put on his best robes for the reading of her cousin's will. He had been having a rather good dream involving a pug-nosed girl and a bottle of whipped cream. However, now, only an hour after that dream, he didn't feel much like whipped cream of any kind. Clutching at his mother's unconscious form he stared at his arch rival and only true enemy at school.

"What have you done, Potter?" He screamed at the black haired boy down the conference room table.

"I nullified your mother's marriage, interestingly enough it was illegal. I only signed it after you were given the Head of Family so that you were not cheated out of your inheritance." Harry leaned forward and smiled gently towards the other young man. His candor seemed to take everyone by surprise and indeed it took a moment for anyone to recover.

"You saved her for last so that he would be emancipated as well and gain more power?" Hermione seemed to be in disbelief, but she wouldn't meet her former friend's eyes, knowing what they would hold.

"Quite right, Ms. Granger. If he had not, Mr. Malfoy would have had to answer to him as Head of the House of Malfoy and he would not have received a knut of his inheritance." The goblin seemed very pleased with him, he dipped his head to speak to Harry in a whispered tone, at a nod from Harry the goblin stood and moved towards the door. "Mr. Malfoy, if you will come with me we can conclude our business. Everyone, but Mr. Potter may leave as this concludes the will reading."

The goblin had been holding the door open waiting for Draco to move, but he did not. It was not until Andromeda came and made her sister lean against her that Draco felt comfortable enough to move. He caught Harry's eye and nodded in appreciation before disappearing with the goblin down the hall. When the door closed behind them the room erupted into chaos again.

Questions were flung at him from all directions, mostly from the Weasley's and Hermione that seemed outraged at what had just happened. Tonks was livid that Harry would do that for an enemy and Remus seemed surprised as well. It was Andromeda once again that broke the chaos with her soft and hard voice.

"Everything that Harry has done today has been for all of us. Tell me, Harry, you have another contract sitting in front of you. What does it do?" Indeed most everyone had forgotten the fourth contract that he had copied and slid aside for another time. At the question he smiled and tapped it, making it float down towards her.

"Read it, but don't say it out loud, I have a sneaking suspicion that there is more here than meets the eye." Andromeda nodded and began reading while Harry turned to the others. "I believe that you are able to leave now. I only want to speak with Tonks, her mother, Remus and Professor Dumbledore." He sat back and stared hard at Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, all of whom looked defeated. Only Hermione had a sad almost sympathetic look, but stood anyway. She was near the door before she turned.

"Remus, uhm….can I still have those books? I know that you own the house now." She stared down at the floor and felt like a child asking to play with a toy. Harry nodded at him to continue and then spoke himself.

"Fine, you can have them, I'm sure that there are others in the many Black property libraries. It says here that I own over forty-six thousand books." He tapped the sheet of paper in front of him as he watched his former friend's eyes go wide and then well with tears. He wasn't sure if it was the tone that he used or the loss of that knowledge that hurt her the most, but either way she left with the others. Ginny snarled a little as she passed Harry, but he only smiled.

Once the door clicked as the last person left he felt lots of questions would be asked. As it was he held up a hand for silence and looked around as the others seemed to move into a more comfortable position. Andromeda had finished reading the contract and smiled as she helped a nearly conscious Narcissa into a closer chair to her and her daughter.

"First, I think you all know why I want you here, except maybe Remus. For that I give you this to read." He passed Remus the letter that he had received from the other of his so called friends, but he didn't wait for him to read it. "I think it's safe for Mrs. Tonks here to share the information in that final contract."

"Harry, call me Andromeda, or Andy. After everything you've done for us you deserve to be on friendly terms with me; considering I nearly snogged you senseless." He blushed a little at this. "This contract is a void of another marriage, one of Bellatrix Black to Rudolphus Lestrange." Dumbledore had gotten up and moved to where the pieces of the wedding ring now lay. Poking at it with his wand he nodded and levitated them down onto the table in front of the small group.

"Why would you do that, Harry? Seems kind of like revenge on old Aunt Bella." Tonks smiled and received a glare from her mother.

"Actually, I think Ms. Black might have a few answers for us." At the confused looks Harry pointed to a recovering Narcissa; whom up until that moment had been holding her head in her hands, but shot up to stare at him with soft grey eyes.

"It's odd really, I feel like waking up from a long dream." She groaned and put a hand to her head again. "I remember everything, but the last clear memory I have is when I was seventeen, just out of Hogwarts. Mother said that she had arranged for my marriage to Lucius, after that I felt a little hazy."

"I believe that the young Ms. Black was subjected to a powerful and dark curse." Dumbledore spoke slowly poking the pieces of the ring with his wand. "This ring was forged in a way to never break, and imbued with magic to force her to stay loyal to her husband. Along with a monthly potion she would be a relative slave to him and his ideals."

"You knew about this Harry?" Remus sat forward and stared at the young man.

"To tell you the truth I had no idea about her, I figured it would piss off Malfoy." Harry smiled at the astonished looks around the room. "I did think that there was something up with Bellatrix though. At the Department of Mysteries she wasn't trying to kill Sirius, and I even saw a flash of pain on her face after he fell through the veil, but it was soon replaced by glee and her usual manic laughter."

"She wasn't always like that, I remember a time when we were all very close." Andy seemed on the verge of tears again, and only stopped with a hug from her sister. Harry nodded and smiled gently.

"I figured as much with both of them; however I had no proof or any way to make sure that it was true. When I was named Head of House I asked the goblin if it was possible and he drew up the papers."

"Consequently, their marriages were illegal to begin with because of inheritance laws." The goblin had returned with a stack of papers and slowly sat back down. "Am I free to continue, Mr. Potter?"

"Yes, of course, these people need to hear about the rest." Harry nodded and settled back into the seat as the goblin opened the thick folder.

"Without going into extreme depth as Head of the Black Household, while not an actual Black or related to any of the members you are required to pay out seven thousand galleons to the Patil family for breech of contract, you receive ten thousand from the Parkinson family, and inherit two arraigned marriages. This is where the illegality of the Malfoy and Lestrange marriages comes in."

"Perhaps you should give us the long version on the arraigned marriage contracts." Groaning Harry rubbed the bridge of his nose as he removed his glasses. The goblin grinned at him as he shifted the papers around.

"In 1197 the Black family was brought into an alliance with several other families, at the time it made the most amount of sense that they should protect one another. Over time the alliance crumbled either through nefarious dealings or the other families falling out of favor with the others. In 1345 it was decided that to keep the families together the Blacks decided that two women of their line should marry one or two of another depending on the availability."

"Surely that's not still in existence though; they would have done those centuries ago." Remus leaned forward in his chair appalled at the contracts being so long.

"Normally, yes, however the stipulation was when there were three daughters to a family that the eldest two would be married. Because of this the Black family kept their numbers low so as not to have to fulfill this contract. Consequently the next set of girls that this would apply to is the present Narcissa Black and her eldest sister, Bellatrix." At this declaration Narcissa seemed to pale even more in comparison to what she looked like first. "Because they violated the contract their marriages were illegal anyway, however since the Head of Family never contested this it was allowed to continue."

"Until Hero Harry here did the noble thing and set the girls free. Go Harry!" Tonks pumped her fist into the air and caused him to blush a little and receive scandalous looks from her aunt and a smack to the arm from her mother. Dumbledore and Remus chuckled a little at this and shook their heads.

"I hate to ask, but does that mean that I have to marry them?" Harry nearly whispered to not let the others hear, but they still did; the goblin chuckled looked up at him.

"As Head of the Black family, of course not; however as head of the Potter family you are obligated to do something, yes." Harry groaned as the goblin opened up another file. "As Head of the Potter family you are entitled to either the Black sisters as slaves, wives, or for you to be compensated in a fair and just manner." Harry looked up at Narcissa and sighed.

"I don't suppose you really want to marry me, do you?" She made a show of thinking it over, but it was a smack to the arm from her sister that got her talking.

"Fine, fine, but if I change my mind you'll be the first to know." Harry blush a little as the goblin stamped a contract and handed it over to Harry to read and sign. Doing so took some money from the Black vault and put it into the Potter vault, an odd compensation since he was the head of both families now.

"Now then, for the Potter inheritance; you will receive four thousand galleons from the Pettigrew family; pay two thousand to the Prewitt family, a breach of contract resulting in a slave, and a proposed marriage contract dowry already paid." The goblin looked up to see the pale face of Harry staring down at him.

"Ok, Ok, maybe we should start with the marriage thing and then move on to the slave." Harry braced himself for the worst and indeed it was what he had feared.

"There are numerous dowries that a few families have attempted to offer your family over the years, however the only known dowry to be taken care of is one that set up a marriage contract. Because you were underage at the time the contract would have been matured in full at your 17th birthday, at which time it would have been impossible to revoke. However, because you are coming of age sooner than that, you now have the option of declining the contract."

"I think I already know the answer, but who is the contract for and who enacted the marriage contract." Harry pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes preparing for the onslaught of voice and anger. The goblin shifted around the papers some and came up with the contract in hand.

"One Ginevra Molly Weasley, enacted by her parents Arthur and Molly Weasley." The reaction was as Harry had expected, a complete uproar from Remus cursing their names to Tonks promising to arrest the entire family for fraud. Holding up his hand, Dumbledore was the one solid voice in the rest of the room.

"Sir goblin, you mentioned that Harry had to pay the Prewitt family, an ancestor of the Weasley's two thousand galleons, may he rescind that and keep the money for payment of the dowry on the young Weasley as well as to return the money already paid." The goblin shifted around the papers some and muttered to him as he picked up a few pieces of paper.

"Her life isn't worth that much to us goblins, however if he chooses Lord Potter may do just that." Setting the new contract in front of Harry he numbly signed it and watched it disappear. "You are still a bachelor, Lord Potter." Harry heaved a great sigh as he heard a commotion in the hallway just outside of the conference room.

Remus moved through the room and quickly stuck his head out of the door. He pulled it back into the room as a red stunner was flung down the hallway. Muttering a few of the locking charms on the door he moved back towards the conference room table. Several more lights of different spells flew past the door and struck the marble walls at the end of it.

"I think it's time for us to go." Remus breathed as everyone could feel the building shake slightly from the impact of another curse hitting the outer wall. "Doesn't seem like the Death Eaters and the Ministry quite like the fact that Sirius is being honored in this way."

The aging goblin had slid the papers across the table and into Harry's hands before he went to the door and looked outside quickly. Ducking back inside he straightened his waistcoat and faced the assembled group of people.

"If Mr. Dumbledore would be kind enough to get all of you out of here, we goblins can take care of the aurors and death eaters." He smiled a sharp toothed smile before taking a deep breath and disappearing into the hallway. The others could hear a savage war cry taken up around the building by the other goblins.


	3. Chapter 3

Harry didn't have much time to concentrate on what was going on around him as he felt Dumbledore take his hand. Clutching onto the folder of papers that the goblin had given him he felt the unusual squeeze of the apparition. He had never apparated before in his life and he found the sensation most uncomfortable. Feeling himself pushed through a small tube and unable to breathe for several seconds he could feel his feet hit solid ground before he pitched forward and onto the carpet of a living room.

Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on whose perspective you took, Tonks had always had a problem with apparition herself. Upon landing in the carpeted room she had lost her footing and fallen flat on top of Harry, pressing his body deep into the dust strewn room. Picking herself up quickly she tried to hide the blush as she could hear her mother, aunt snickering at her clumsiness, and Remus snickering for an entirely different reason.

"Sorry, Harry, you know how I am." She tried to hide her blush as she held out her hand to help him up to his feet. Once he was on his feet though she disappeared out of the room and down a hallway away from the assembled group.

Harry stared around at the dust covered walls and the fading old carpet of the living room of Number twelve Grimmauld Place. Taking time to stare at the aging walls he never thought he would be forced to see again he turned around in a circle to take everything in. Not much had actually changed since the previous summer when he spent time here with the Weasley's and Hermione. Remembering his former friends made him choke up a little, but the others were too distracted to really pay him any attention at the time.

Once they had landed Andy had moved Narcissa over towards a threadbare couch and slowly lowered her down to the cushions. They were speaking in low tones as Dumbledore and Remus disappeared out of the room, presumably to follow Tonks down towards the kitchen to get some food and contact others about what had happened at the will reading. For his part Harry collapsed into a nearby chair letting the folders slide down onto his lap. Taking the first in his hands he started to read when he was interrupted.

"Harry, what about Bella?" It was Narcissa's pleading voice that made Harry look up to see fear in her eyes. "If she was released the same as I was, she could be in great danger. We should get her here immediately. She was at Malfoy manor, but she might have been called away" Harry thought it over and nodded slowly just as Dumbledore was coming into the room.

"Sir, with your permission I would like to have Dobby and Kreacher bring the other Ms. Black here, with some precautions just in case." Harry thought it over and knew just what needed to be done, but he needed approval from the headmaster before he put his plan into action. For his part, the ancient wizard seemed to like the idea, and almost thought along the same lines as Harry did.

"Yes, I suppose that would be all right. It would be for her own benefit of course if she is released."

"Kreacher! Dobby!" Harry called out and felt the reassurance surge through him as the two elves popped into existence. Kreacher didn't bow quite as low as Dobby did for Harry, but noticed the still pale Narcissa on the couch.

"Kreacher's Malfoy Mistress has returned to ancient and noble house. Filthy blood traitors and mudbloods soil the house of her cousins and forefathers." Harry didn't pay much attention to it, but it would seem that the former Mrs. Malfoy did as she stared shrewdly at the elf in question.

"Kreacher, you are a vile little elf. You should have joined your brethren years ago on the walls of this house."

"Dobby is pleased to serve the great Harry Potter. Whats is it that the great one wishes of lowly Dobby and vile Kreacher." The elf shot what could only have been a nasty look towards the aging elf next to him, but Kreacher didn't seem to really notice.

"I want both of you to go collect Bellatrix Black from wherever she is imprisoned. Bring her back here, but in the cellar. I want you to tie her to a chair and take her wand, bring the wand to me when you're done and let me know that you're done."

"Great Mistress Bellatrix severed from her husband of noble house, now filthy wizard wants…" But Kreacher didn't get to finish his threat as there was a soft pop and he disappeared. Dobby was the first to react and followed him immediately leaving the others staring blankly at where the elves had been.

XoXo

Bellatrix knew that she was going to be in deep trouble when her husband had returned. She was in deep trouble regardless of what Rudolphus would think or even really say to her, but she had to think now. This is what found her pacing the floor in her bedroom at Malfoy manor, slowly wearing a trail in the carpet as she went back and forth. After her spill from the bed this morning she had dressed minimally in a dressing robe and her wand holster strapped to her arm. Muttering to herself she continued to pace back and forth as the sun was slowly starting to come up through the windows.

"The Dark Lord will know before too long, Rudolphus will be furious, but why? Then there's Potter, Harry, no, he's still Potter my enemy. I can't hate a child, can I? Longbottom, such a cute baby he really was." Shaking herself violently she sat on the edge of her bed and chewed on her lip for a second. "Cissy, must find her, elves would help."

Her eyes alight with a wild fire that it used to have before her being placed under the curse she removed the wand from the holster and twirled it around her fingers for a few moments before she had finally made her decision. Standing up she moved to the center of the room before calling out for the vile elf that had helped her in the past.

"…to retrieve noble Miss Bellatrix." Kreacher finished as he turned to behold what he believed to be his true mistress. Dobby popped in next to him and moved away slightly from the manic woman before him. Bellatrix stared at the two elves slightly and pointed her wand at Dobby first.

"Who are you, elf? Sent by aurors, perhaps by the ministry, yes, I should kill you now."

"Mistress Bellatrix, come to collect you we has, to take you back to Noble house of Black." Kreacher stood in front of the crazy woman and between her and Dobby. This seemed to have the opposite effect that he was hoping for though as she dropped her wand to the floor and grabbed a hold of her head. Sobbing she was able to choke out a few words.

"No, no, haunted. Sirius dead, mother did this to me. Cissy will come looking for me." Unseen by Kreacher or Bellatrix, Dobby had moved down and picked up the dropped wand.

"Mistress Narcissa is at the house of Black once again with Sister Andromeda." Kreacher moved forward and put a hand on her shoulder, almost in a comforting gesture.

"No, no, no. I killed Sirius, not ready to go back. Can't go back, must find new Lord." Her mutterings were getting manic as Kreacher took her arm and popped out of the room. Dobby soon followed.

What met her were complete and utter darkness and the constraining pressure of the ropes around her body as she was gently lowered into the chair. Her body complied, but her mind continually wanted to fight what was happening. It was wrong, she shouldn't be here, and she should fight, laugh, and strike out at anything that moves within the dark. Her body wouldn't comply with her wishes though as she submissively sat down and allowed she to be tied to the chair.

From far away she could hear footsteps coming closer and a light flared somewhere, but it was dull to her eyes. The elves or someone else must have covered her eyes with something when they arrived. The footsteps got closer and she could feel that someone else was in the room with her, but she didn't fight it. Instinctively she gave into the new presence and accepted that it was her fate; either she would die here, alone or she would be free from the Dark Lord and her husband forever.

"You should know that I tried to hate you for so long. I finally figured it out that you were being controlled, but it didn't make it any easier to look at your face again or to hear your name." Bellatrix shivered a little at the malice that was displayed in the words of the man in front of her.

"Please, my Lord…" But she didn't get any further as she felt the man grip her arm tightly.

"Never call me that, ever again. I'm not Voldemort." Instantly she cringed on hearing the name and turned away from the talker as best she could give the constraints of the ropes. Eventually he let go of her and she could feel him move back slightly. "Why did you call me that?"

"If you can command the elves then you are the true Lord of the house of Black. I have no Lord anymore after His influence was removed. He tried to kill me, his most loyal follower." She heard the man laugh slightly.

"He's tried to kill you numerous times and none of you followers have ever cared before." She heard a sigh as the light in the room blinded her momentarily.

Stepping back from the form of Bellatrix Black was Harry Potter holding a blindfold in one hand and her wand in the other. He felt tainted even touching the evil thing, but he knew that it wasn't the wand that was really tainted. He only had to look down at the woman's arm to know that it was her soul and her body that had been tainted over the many years because of what the dark wizard had done to her. Once her eyes were adjusted to the sudden light Bellatrix tried hard not to sneer at the man in front of her.

"Potter, no, Harry, you freed me from his control. You saved my life that night, even after what I did to Sirius." For her part she did look sad about killing her cousin, staring dejectedly down at the earthen floor of the cellar.

"I guess that means that I've saved your life twice now." He smiled gently. "If you are a good girl then I will let you out; however you're not getting your wand back until you can prove that you won't try and kill me or anyone else again." Harry paused for a second thinking over the ramifications of letting her go. He had already talked it over with Andy, Narcissa, and the others, and most agreed that she could reform.

"Yes, of course, no nonsense. You're a good man, Harry. Bella be a good girl." Of course he had already taken precautions against her like locking up her real wand and keeping her on constant surveillance by the house and the others. She couldn't apparate anywhere in the house and the wards would seal her in if she tried. For now, Harry would let her roam free so long as she didn't do anything stupid.

XoXoXo

Leaving the sisters to get reacquainted with one another in the kitchen, Harry had retired back to the living room to go over the papers that he had gotten at Gringots. The pile was still sitting next to the comfortable arm chair that he had tried to rest in before sending the elves to collect Bellatrix. Sinking back into the comfortable chair he groaned a little and rubbed at his eyes to get the sleep away from them. It had been a long day already and it was only dawn. Taking up the first stack of papers he started to read through them. Most were legal documents concerning the execution of contracts under his parents.

Harry had found that his parents were rather savvy when it came to legal matters and ensured his freedom on a number of issues by paying out galleons to some unknown people that never bothered to sign their names. Drops of blood were on a few contracts making them legal binding without the signatures of the people involved, but it unnerved Harry to think that before he was even born people had tried to obtain his power and life.

What interested him the most was in the second folder that held contracts that needed to be taken care of from the Potter and other families that he was connected too. The first leaf of parchment was an extensive family tree that expanded itself the further back he wanted to look. He got a little dizzy looking at all the names so he set it aside for later. Picking up the first piece of parchment he saw what the goblin had referred to by the slave contract. Groaning he felt his stomach clench in fear and his face pale slightly.

"She's not going to like this one bit."


	4. Chapter 4

Hermione Granger was fuming when she returned back home to her sleeping parents after the will reading. Who did Harry Potter think he was, denying her access to that wealth of information that the Blacks had at their disposal? She was livid at his attitude, but a tiny voice in the back of her mind kept telling her that she deserved it. Groaning she reluctantly agreed with it after a while and slumped down onto the nearby bed staring at her pile of school books.

She didn't feel like attempting to sleep at this point in time as the sun would be up in a matter of hours and her body was still charged from the adrenaline rush of the will reading. Deciding on what to do she moved to the books and picked the first one up _Practical potions for the depressed witch_. It was odd, she thought, but it was just what she needed, and she could brew it without magic being used. She ran her hand down a list of potions and smiled at one in the middle, the chapter within described it as being a fairly complicated potion to clear away any unwanted thoughts and put her in a deep meditative state. The book explained that in this state she could view her memories as an objective person and determine if anyone had modified her memories of the event.

Nodding she moved her cauldron out from her school trunk and got to work on the potion. It would take a few hours to brew, but she had the time and she was quiet enough not to wake her family. The liquid bubbled and churned as she thought about what had been happening. _I did the right thing getting away from Harry like that, right? He saved my life and I toss him aside, but he's put me in so much danger and others. That troll wouldn't have even been there if Harry wasn't at the school._

The light of the dawn was slowly peeping into the windows of her bedroom and she could hear the first stirs of Crookshanks down in the garden ready for his morning hunt of the mice around the house. The potion was nearly done as she held up the crystal blue liquid in an unused phial. Shrugging her shoulders she slowly took down the potion and felt her body slowly go numb and almost limp. Collapsing into a nearby chair she started to view her memories as if she was in a pensieve. There was her first trip to Diagon Alley, the train ride to Hogwarts, her meeting of Harry.

At the memory of Harry she saw her younger self swell with respect and almost love when she knew it was Harry Potter in front of her. Disgusted with her younger self she passed over a few more memories. It was during her second year that she was thrown violently out of her own mind. Trying to figure out what had happened she touched her hair to find something wrong with her hair.

John and Anne Granger were just sleeping soundly when the piercing scream of their daughter woke them with a start. Rushing down to her room they tripped over each other as they saw she was in the bathroom. Sliding on the hardwood floor, and cursing themselves for going with the cheap slippery floor coving, they finally reached the door and gaped at their daughter. It was here that both the Granger women collapsed in a dead faint and John fought hard not to laugh out loud.

XoXo

Ginny Weasley paced her bedroom slowly as she kept sneaking glances out the window and at the petite blonde that was sitting peacefully on the edge of her bed. Luna Lovegood had agreed to spend time with her friend and had come over the day of the will reading to find her red haired friend incredibly volatile and for no apparent reason whatsoever. When she tried to get her to talk, Luna was screamed at, so she just sat there patiently waiting.

"That arrogant jerk, showing up there and all that." Even Ginny wasn't sure why she was mad, just that she hated Harry Potter at that very moment.

"Ginevra, perhaps you are still in love with the boy that you profess to hate." Luna knew that it was wrong to say, but quickly continued before the fiery girl could open her mouth again. "He is quite wealthy now, and you have always desired the fame that he comes with."

Thankfully Luna was saved from having to answer by a yell from downstairs. Both girls recognized the matron Weasley's voice as she screamed loudly about one thing or another. Sticking their heads out the door they could make out a little of the conversation that was going on in the kitchen between the two adults of the family; although now they weren't acting like much.

"We put so much hard work into the boy and now this! You would think he would be grateful for us giving up so much for him, but no, he throws it back in our faces."

"Molly, dear, you knew very well when we made the contract that he could contest it if this ever happened. I agree that he should be grateful that he would get her, but we can't be all that surprised."

"He was always interested in her, even when they met on the platform before Ron's first year, I saw the sparks. Even she knew that they were always going to be together, and now all the hard work that we put into this is gone to ruin." The girls could hear the matron storming through the kitchen making pots and pans fly from the shelves and clatter to the floor.

"Molly, there are still plenty of other ways to get his money, you know this. We still have…"

"No, Arthur, all of that was turned down by the goblins. This was our only shot and now he's ruined it by coming of age soon. Did you see the callous way that he treated us? He knows something before the will reading, even denying Hermione those books was peculiar."

"You don't think the kids had anything to do with that? If they talked to him then it could have affected him badly to the point where he would refuse the contract and put us in this situation." The girls paled a little more and quickly, and silently, rushed up the stairs towards Ron's room.

Ron, for his part, had been locked away in his room for the better part of the day. He was glad that he had finally gotten some money and away from Potter. As much as he was jealous of the fame and the money that the boy had, he had tried hard to be the boy's friend at his mother's insistence. She had told him before his first year that Harry Potter would be a powerful friend to have need to anything happen to him. And now he knew that everything that happened had been Harry's fault and wanted to be as far away from him as possible; he wondered lightly if his parents could now afford for him and Ginny to be transferred out of Hogwarts and away from Potter. His thoughts were interrupted by his sister and her crazy friend bursting into his room and pressing them against the door to hear if anyone had heard them.

"Oi, get out you two, I have a few personal things to take care of." Ron wasn't really doing anything, but he liked his privacy.

"Like do things to that picture of Hermione under your bed." Ginny snarled a little and Ron paled slightly before regaining his composure. "At any rate, pervert, we have a huge problem. Apparently mom and dad had some plan that involves Potter and we ruined it."

"We just heard your parents say that there was some contract that Harry turned down because he's emancipated now. They were hoping on our friendship to do something, but we're not sure what." Luna huffed a little and sat down on the edge of the bed dreamily looking towards the window.

"Who cares now? We've got money and can go far away from Potter as we want."

"You stupid, prat." Ginny smacked her brother in the side of the head. "We'll be in serious trouble if our parents find out what we did." It was of course this very moment that Mrs. Weasley did find something interesting and everyone in the next three counties found out that she was mad.

"GINEVRA, RONALD, GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!"

XoXo

The only young man that had gotten any semblance of sleep over the last few hours had been Neville Longbottom. Not being part of the will reading or having to deal with any exploding mothers he slept soundly in the large manor house that he stayed in with his grandmother. In his mind however it was a conflict of interest as his mind kept replaying the events of the Department of Mysteries.

Neville ran alongside the pale blonde head of Luna as he felt the whoosh and crack of air of a nearby appearance of another Death Eater. He protected the crazy girl, stepping to yell out another stunner at the offending man bearing down on them. In the shadows he could see and hear the sounds of battle nearby, but he kept running towards the nearby door with Luna's hand in his.

It wasn't until they got to the amphitheater with the veil that he took the time to really look around. Harry was protecting them, putting himself between his friends and the other Death Eaters. He didn't need to do that, they could hold their own against the adults, but it was his bravery that Neville focused on in the dream. The mad cackling of the crazy black haired witch was overshadowed by the power radiating off the young man with the unruly black hair. In an instant though, he felt like he was falling and enveloped in the darkness all around him.

Sitting bolt upright in bed he wiped the sweat off of his forehead and stared around at his darkened room. The sun was just coming up over the edge of the manor and the dream was slowly slipping away from his mind. He put it out of his mind; they had done the right thing in getting away from Harry. He was sure that they had done the right thing; to keep themselves safe they had to be far away from Harry Potter.

XoXo

Remus chuckle a little as he moved through the hallways of the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. Moving off towards the living room he laughed openly now at what he had done, but shrugged it off as he smiled a little. Looking up he saw Harry pale faced sitting in a chair staring at the documents in his lap.

"What's up, Harry?" Remus came closer and sat down on the chair facing the young man. This movement brought him out of the trance and he slid the folder closed, setting it aside as he rubbed at his temples.

"Why me, Remus? Why is it always me that these things happen to?"

"Not good news."

"Oh, the worst, I just read the contract that the goblins have and it turns out that…" Here however Harry was interrupted by a smirking Snape and a worried looking Professor Dumbledore.

"Harry, I know that Miss Granger and your other former friends have made you upset, however would it be all right if we brought her to headquarters? She seemed quite urgent in her letter." Indeed Dumbledore already had a letter in his hand and was shaking it a little. Harry brushed it off however.

"What's the Know-It-All want now? Probably some more books for her collections."

"No, it appears that there was a problem with a potion that she tried; foolish girl brewing potions with such a volatile attitude." Snape seemed to almost laugh with glee at what was going on.

"Fine, Fine, if she's in such an urgent position then she can come here, but I'll be gone when she gets here." Harry stood up and moved towards the stairs, but the front door swung open to an interesting sight.

Standing on the front stoop of the ancient house was two very nervous looking people, a man and a woman with a bundle moving between them. The bundle appeared to be a smaller person, hunched over with a coat over their head. All Harry could see was a pair of golden eyes sticking out of the darkness of the coat; however when they saw him they went wide and shrank back against the nearby wall. This peaked his interest a little and he followed the trio back into the living room.

Professors Dumbledore and Snape moved to the adults and spoke in low undertones with them both as Harry moved back over towards Remus. He had known those people from somewhere, but he wasn't sure where. He couldn't place it, even as the young woman produced a dusty old book from her own coat and handed it off to Professor Snape to look at. Dumbledore seemed to be trying to get the third person to remove the coat from their head, but it only quivered and Harry thought he heard a soft hissing sound. The hiss held no special meaning though, it wasn't parseltongue as Harry knew it, but it sounded familiar some how.

"Any idea who they are? By the looks of them they might be muggles." Remus asked Harry in a soft tone to make sure that they weren't found out to be spying on the other five in the room.

"The adults look familiar some how, but I can't seem to place it." Harry tapped his finger on his chin for a moment and then his eyes light up. Speaking a little louder he called out to the trio standing in the middle of the room now. "Mister and Misses Granger, what are you doing here?"

It was this declaration that changed a lot of things in the room. Both professors had ignored him until he had said something and looked almost sick at the fact that Harry had recognized his friend's parents. For their part though the Grangers merely turned at the mention of their name and smiled at the black haired teen, figuring that he was the one that their daughter spoke of in such high regard; Anne for her part always thought her daughter might fancy the young man.

The problem came from the middle of the two Granger adults. At the outcry from Harry they began to turn, pulling the coat with them until the person in the middle became completely exposed. Standing between the adults was a young woman dressed in a very familiar jeans and t-shirt that the others had seen only a little while ago. What was different though were the ears poking out of the top of her bushy hair, the amount of hair on her back and the tail poking out of her jeans. Feeling herself exposed she turned around and Harry could see the feline features and couldn't help himself.

Bursting out laughing was the only reaction that Harry could think of at the time, and later he would reflect that it might not have been the best reaction, but it was how he felt at the moment. Hermione Granger, brightest witch of her age stood before him turned into an interesting cross between a brown cat and the girl that she was. If this indeed was a failed potion, he wanted to know how they were going to reverse it, and secretly hoping that they couldn't. This of course didn't escape the other adults or the feline girl in front of him.

Emitting a high hiss Hermione the cat launched herself at her former best friend, claws extended. Harry noticed a little too late and went tumbling down on the ground with the girl trying to scratch his eyes out. Even though he was getting scratched he kept laughing; he just couldn't stop himself, it was too funny seeing the smart girl out done by her own lust for knowledge. It took several minutes for Remus to wrestle Hermione off of Harry, but that wasn't the end of it. To make it even more embarrassing for the young woman, Harry reached over and did the only thing he could think of; he scratched behind her pointed ears. Hermione stopped her thrashing around at once and purred contentedly, closing her amber eyes and pushing her head back into Harry's hand.

"I guess there are some advantages to this situation." Harry smiled at the others and saw them relax a little more. "She kind of looks like she did in our second year."

"Yes, I seem to remember Madam Pomfrey treating Miss Granger for a failed Transfiguration that made her turn into a cat for a time." Dumbledore sat back in the chair and affixed Harry with a grandfatherly look, his eyes twinkling with unshed laughter. "Perhaps you would like to explain what actually happened."

"Not that it matters now, but the potion that she made was a simple memory enhancer, and it looks like she did fine with it. Whatever she experienced must have caused the change, so yes, Potter, please enlighten us." Snape affixed him with a slightly less then loving stare as the rest of the group gathered around Harry in chairs. Harry was careful to keep his fingers still scratching and keeping a purring Hermione content on the floor.

"Well, Sirs, I think that you should know first that the potion was perfectly done and if she had done it in class, you would have to have awarded her points for it. Anyway, during the whole Chamber of Secrets crisis, we all thought that it would be good to get information from the Slytherins because it was their heir that was spoken of." Harry didn't mean either of his professors' eyes as he spoke slowly.

"What does that have to do with our Hermione?" Ms. Granger seemed to have been calming down a little more, but she still clutched at the night dress that she wore under her coat.

"Oh, Hermione came up with the idea of using polyjuice potion to look like Crabbe and Goyle so that we could ask Malfoy if he knew anything about it. Unfortunately the hairs that she had gotten off of Milicent Bulstrode were actually her cat hair, and that's what landed her in the hospital wing." This had the interesting reaction of calming some of the people down while the Grangers still looked a little confused.

"Polyjuice potion, when brewed correctly, will allow the drinker to take on the looks of another for a period of one hour. If Miss Granger had indeed used the highly regulated potion then she would have been expelled, although I suppose that she's suffered enough by now." Snape looked almost happy about the situation as he closed the book in his lap.

"What's going to happen now?" John Granger spoke up for the first time since they had arrived.


	5. Chapter 5

It took some negotiations, but the wizards were finally able to convince the collective Granger family to go up to a bedroom in the old house and get some rest. It was a debate on who Hermione glared at more; Harry for embarrassing her with the scratching, her parents for stopping him, or Snape and Lupin, whom had forgotten their past feud and were holding onto each other laughing hysterically. Harry for his part tried to look sympathetic, but snickered once they were gone up the stairs.

The rest of the day seemed to pass without much incident, that isn't to say that it was boring; having so many magical people in one household it was hard to tell what was really normal. The Black sisters decided to make up for nearly twenty years lost by going on an endless prank war throughout the house, getting more dangerous and creative as the time went on. By noon it was, not surprisingly, Lupin that had to stop their fun after a loose firework scorched the walls of the house and burned off a streak of his hair right down the middle. Watching the girls get reprimanded from the partially bald older man served as Harry's entertainment for the afternoon.

Harry for his part kept on the move, not stopping for very long so that no one could ask him about the information that the goblins had given him at the bank. He continually carried around one particular folder, and it was starting to drive Lupin mad that Harry wouldn't tell him what it was. Nearing dinner, Lupin finally cornered the young man in the kitchen near the fireplace.

"All right, Harry, you've been avoiding me all day, now tell me what's so bad in that folder." Remus pointed to a chair at the table to indicate that he wanted him to sit down. Not looking up at the older man, Harry sat down, mostly because if he looked at him with the inverted Mohawk, he might have started laughing all over again.

"Look, it's pretty personal and a little important, but I don't know how to broach the subject. I mean, it concerns someone else." Harry shifted on the chair a little and laid the folder out on the table in front of him.

"Harry, if it's dangerous then you should let the Order handle it. How bad can it honestly be?" Groaning Harry passed him the sheet of parchment and watched the color drain from the werewolf's face. "You should hide, Harry, hide away where no one can find you."

Of course this course of action had crossed Harry's mind, but he wasn't allowed to leave the house without his permission or Dumbledore's. Now that he had it he had already made plans to leave when he saw the green flames in the fireplace light up and expelled a dirty and ash covered Professor McGonagall. She was dressed in soft casual robes that seemed to have been thrown on hastily over a light flannel shirt and some jeans. What interested Harry though was the outright rage on her face as she waved around a sheet of paper and slammed it down on the table. Both Harry and Remus could see that it bore the official seal of the Ministry.

"Care to explain this, Mr. Potter?" She stressed the formal usage of his name as she slid the letter across the table towards him. Picking up the sheet of parchment with trembling hands, Harry read it aloud.

_Ms. Rolanda Hooch, _

_It has come to the attention of the Ministry and your life and magic have been summarily forfeited due to the inheritance laws of 1745. As per the instructions of the goblins at Gringots, your magic has been bound to that of your new master and owner. You are to report to him at once seeing as your station in life, if you do not do so in a timely manner you will be escorted to him by Aurors. Should he have not made himself known to you by now, it is our duty to inform you that by the ancient laws you are now the property of one Harry James Potter._

_Wishing you Well,_

_Edell Bregman_

_Inheritance Office_

_Ministry of Magic_

For a brief second Harry thought that maybe it was a forgery or something had happened to the contract. Pulling it out of the hands of Lupin, who was still staring at Minerva as she glared at the pair of them he checked over the names on the contract and groaned softly. Sliding both over towards his disgruntled Professor she continued speaking as she read slowly.

"Imagine my surprise when I was awoken by a frantic beating on my door. Rolanda was quite upset at first that she had lost her life, but once she saw your name she was….." Her voice trailed off as she verified everything and groaned. "Yes, it is as I feared."

As the Professor was rubbing the bridge of her nose the fire in the fireplace flared green again and deposited the spiky pepper haired flying instructor. Unfortunately, she didn't have the same grace as her colleague and fell flat on her face grumbling about dirty fireplaces. Standing to dust herself off she was shown to wear black robes over a red nightgown and it was apparent that she was awoken in the middle of the night and hadn't changed since she had gotten the letter. Once she straightened up she immediately saw Harry looking bewildered at the table and fell to her knees and nearly pushed her face down into the floor.

"Please tell them I'm here, Master, I don't want to die." Minerva rolled her eyes and groaned as Madam Hooch smirked and looked up briefly. "I would have come sooner, but stick in the mud here insisted that she make sure that it was real." She glared up at McGonagall whom blush a little and looked away.

"I felt that it was necessary to be sure that it was real and not created by those Weasleys as some sick prank."

"Nope, the Weasley's wouldn't do that; they have something else keeping them busy." Remus laughed a little and then grew somber at the looks that he was getting. "You had better sign it, Harry; it's the only way to be sure that she's not arrested." He took the piece of parchment from the started Transfiguration teacher and laid it down in front of the equally startled teenager.

"But this can't possibly be legal, I don't want a slave, and in any case, please stand up Madam Hooch. Hermione would claw my eyes out, again, if she saw this." Shaking his head he read through the explanation on the sheet of paper.

"You have to, Harry, otherwise they'll snap my wand in half and throw me in prison; and as much as I love a good torture" Here she winked at the blushing teen. "I would rather continue to stay alive." Groaning Harry signed the paper and pressed his hand into it as it duplicated and disappeared. A blue glow surrounded both him and the kneeling woman on the floor and then disappeared.

Something clearly very powerful had just taken place, but everyone in the room was a little more shocked to say anything. Hooch, for her part stood up and dusted off the ash and soot from her robes before giving Harry a peck on the cheek. Harry blushed and Remus snickered for a moment before he remembered something else and divulged into a complete fit of laughter almost falling off of the chair. The other three people stared at him for an explanation, but they weren't going to get it as the fireplace flared once more and deposited the regal looking Dumbledore with barely any soot or ash on his robes at all.

"Ah, Minerva, Rolanda, what are you two fine ladies doing here at Headquarters?" The twinkle was on full as he looked between the women, but it was Harry whom mutely passed him the letter with the contract. The twinkle seemed to intensify as he went over the documents and then chuckled along with Remus. "It would appear that Rolanda has indeed gotten her wish, shall I assume that Harry here will allow her to continue being our flying instructor?"

"And what wish would that be Albus?" Rolanda put her hands on her hips as Harry blush a little and stared at the table finding it very interesting at the moment.

"Why Rolanda, I do seem to remember in your younger years you strove to be attached to a young Quidditch player of some fame, and now you have your wish." This statement only caused both Dumbledore and Lupin to dissolve in polite silent laughter, and there was even a smirk on McGonagall's face that might have passed as a smile in her strict world.

"Why do these things always happen to me?" Harry banged his head on the table for a minute and rested it there grumbling about how cruel the world really was. Madam Hooch for her part was blushing like crazy and trying, unsuccessfully, to disappear through the floor.

Unfortunately the embarrassment of Harry Potter, wouldn't be ending any time soon. Indeed the rest of the day had a few more surprises for our Mr. Potter, not least of which started with the incredible meal that the Dobby was able to serve them instead of the aging Kreacher, that seemed to have disappeared after having to retrieve Bellatrix. Harry, of course, had forgotten to tell the rest of the Order that she was staying at the house with her other sisters, and this only fueled yet another surprise that occurred during dinner.

Harry had stayed in the kitchen for the rest of the time before the meal taking the time to talk to Madam Hooch and getting to know more about her. He had found out that she was once an amazing player for the Holyhead Harpies a few years ago, who only retired because she was offered the teaching position at Hogwarts. He came to respect her as a fellow player and talked Quidditch for most of the time that she was there and before the meal. The surprise however came when Hermione, reluctantly and at her parent's insistence, came down for the meal and was met with the sight of Bellatrix Black standing in the hallway just outside of the kitchen about to enter.

The adults and Harry heard the hissing and screeches coming from the hallway just as the door was about to open. As the door swung open a tangled mess of black and brown hair spilled into the kitchen and rolled around on the floor. Afraid to use their wands and hit the wrong person the adults simply moved out of the way, but it was Harry that jumped into the fray. He didn't really know why he did it, but something made him feel compelled to stop the fight before it would get any tougher to tell them apart.

Reaching down he grabbed Hermione by the scruff of her neck and Bella by the back of her robes, pulling them both apart and holding them apart. Each woman looked startled by the intervention of the black haired teenager, but still glared at each other.

"Harboring criminals now, Potter, I would have thought better of you by now? Maybe you've decided to join the Death Eaters after your friends left you!" Hermione spat, catching the other adults off guard. Several stood to defend him, but sat back down at a look from Dumbledore.

"You're the crazy bitch that attacked me from behind!" Bella screamed back at the girl in front of her.

"Both of you calm down." Harry had to scream to be heard, but all movement stopped in the kitchen. "Hermione, Bellatrix and Narcissa are here with the permission of Remus and Professor Dumbledore, as are you. If you don't consider us friends and wish to be rid of this house then you can leave at any point in time." Hermione looked downcast at being scolded, but Harry soothed her by giving her a soft scratch behind the ears. "Now, we're all going to sit down to a wonderful dinner created by Dobby, and no more fighting."

After Harry let go of the two women, still glaring at each other, they moved to opposite sides of the table. Hermione stayed with her parents and talked with the other adults, while Bellatrix sat with her sisters and tried to fling peas at the bushy haired witch. She tried, but Andromeda always seemed to vanish the pea in mid-air before they could reach the other girl. Sticking out her tongue at her sister, Bella kept eating in her normal grumpy mood.

It was near the end of the dinner that the third fight of the day would end up breaking out across the table. As the adults were discussing Order matters, the Blacks and Grangers talking separately about family matters, Madam Hooch decided to test the waters with her new position in life. Seated next to Harry she spoke softly, but loud enough for the much hyphenated witch at the end of the table to hear her.

"Master, once the Dark Lord is defeated, what do you expect to do with your life?" Saying it in jest, she saw the look of horror on his face before she felt the concussive wave of magic from one Hermione Granger.

"What did you call him!?" Her head had shot up at the first word from the teacher and glared down the table at her former friend. The rest of the conversations died instantly and a few, knowing her attitude towards the situation, drew their wands under the table.

"You see Hermione, due to circumstances beyond my control, Madam Hooch here is bound to me as a slave." He knew it was the wrong thing to say, but he had to explain, and fast.

The witch had apparently inherited some spite from her family as well as the cat that she had started to become because all anyone saw was a blur of brown as she launched herself down the table at Harry. He moved at the last moment and the girl found herself sprawled on all fours on the cold stone floor. Spinning around she leaped at him again, only to knock the chair out of the way and clatter to the floor. Spring boarding off the back of the chair she hit Harry hard and knocked him to the ground. Thankfully this time, he knew what to do and calmed her instantly by scratching behind her ears as he tried to explain.

"It was part of my inheritance from the Potter line, Hermione. I had no choice but to accept it otherwise she would have lost all of her magic, or worse died." He sat on the floor, a few new scratches to his face and arms as he held the small head in his lap and scratched behind her ears. "Now, I'm going to ask that you go to bed, will you do that peacefully?"


	6. Chapter 6

The night pressed in on around the fortress and slipped deep into the recesses of the dark lord's domain. Lights were few and many flickered as flames licked up against the stones and the hallways. Long corridors stretched underground to a large throne room lined with the heads of enemies and stinking of blood and death. It was the throne room itself that was the largest room in the cavernous hideout as well as the one room that stunk completely of death and destruction, but it was what the Lord of the fortress enjoyed. Currently, however, he was not having fun, nor enjoying himself while torturing his followers or killing his enemies.

The Dark Lord Voldemort, feared among many, hated among everyone and those that were in complete pissed that they had taken either side in the war, was sitting on the throne of skulls and blood and staring down at the two men before him. The two most loyal, and one could argue the most bloodthirsty families, were kneeling before their master and making small babbling noises towards the man before them. These men had come to their Lord during the night and asked for his help in a personal matter.

"My Lord, due to unforeseen circumstances that we ourselves had no control over…." Lucius was hit with a pain curse, less severe than the Cruciatus, but still it hurt like hell.

"Oh, our marriages were annulled, our great Lord." Rudolphus caught on to the meaning of the pain curse quickly before having to be shown himself.

"And what does this have to do with me? Or our grand scheme of plans? You both have professed an interest in your sisters-in-law." The Dark Lord chuckled at the glares that each man gave the other.

"While we were married, my Lord, our wives were kept true to our vision. Now that it has been annulled, the marriage will allow them to choose freely." The Dark Lord tortured both of the men and then moved down along the throne towards them.

"Are you telling me that my most loyal followers are only at the hem of my robes because of some manipulations that you two blithering idiots made on teenage women?" The power radiating off his body was immense, but it had poetry to it. In time he calmed somewhat after torturing them a few more times. "I suppose that there could be something done for this, come, gather in a circle."

The two terrified men moved with their lord to the side of the throne room and formed a loose circle between the three of them. The two marked men held out their dark marks as their lord and master chanted over them with his wand. Each flinched minimally as they felt it start to burn, but they did not move from the pain as it would only incur the wraith of the mighty wizard before them. The chanting continued and the dark mark glowed dangerously.

XoXoXo

Nighttime at Grimmauld Place was normally a very calm and secluded affair, well, that was only after the Black sisters stopped their pranks and everyone had settled down for a long rest. It was in this serenity that several people had slowly fallen asleep with the three sisters sharing one room and the others spread out around the rest of the house. Harry was on the same floor along with Madam Hooch; whom had reluctantly been forced into another bedroom besides Harry's own. Hermione was with her parents in a second floor bedroom, oddly enough curled up on a folded blanket on the floor since there were no more beds.

It was in this serenity that a pair of screams pitched out of the darkness from the third floor. As if in stereo the two screams were in the same pitch and the same voice almost as if they were the same person; they were not however and it seemed more that they were what they were. The Black sisters, two of the three at least, were in great pain and writhing around in their beds. Their sisters were at her wits end about what to do and it was in this chaos that had awoken the entire household.

Dumbledore and Harry burst through the door as soon as they could, tussled hair and beard, in Dumbledore's case. Harry's hair was always messy, but at nearly three in the morning it was even worse. Harry was dressed modestly in a pair of boxers and a t-shirt that he was wearing while he was asleep, but Dumbledore was formally dressed in robes of deep blue with his eyes twinkling as always. They each moved to a sister and tried to hold her down, but it was useless as they moved around in their beds. It was Dumbledore that had pointed out the most obvious and stressing thing that either of them had realized.

"Harry, their marks, it's glowing." Indeed, both of the women's dark marks were glowing a fiery red and it was obvious now that it was what was causing the stress on their bodies. As he moved to touch them his hand recoiled in fear and as if it had been burnt.

"What can we do Professor?" Harry was frantic trying to calm Andy down and help the other two at the same time. The red glow had started to spread over their arms and reaching up towards their chests. The rest of the household held their breaths as they waited near the door, clutching their night clothes and biting hard on their lips.

It was during the next thrashing that a solution fell into their laps. Harry had reached out to Bellatrix to hold her down, his hand pushing against the infected red area of her arm and he didn't flinch from the magic being used. Dumbledore waved his wand over the area and stood, nodding quickly as he moved to Harry's side and whispering something quickly. The young boy paled a little but held his face firm as he nodded. He positioned himself between the two thrashing and screaming women, grabbing their left arms quickly. Placing his hands over their dark marks he winced, but didn't move.

"_Permissum dea defaeco vestri animus. Obscurum absum!" _Dumbledore started to chant and Harry picked it up after the first go around.

"_Permissum dea defaeco vestri animus. Obscurum absum!" _Harry repeated over and over again, concentrating on what was happening around him. He closed his eyes and repeated the mantra, focusing all his magic down through his arms and into the two women before him.

From behind him he could hear a few gasps, Hermione clutched at her tail for dear life as she watched her friend start to glow white, focusing his energy down into the prone women on the beds. The energy intensified, glowing around the boy's body and forcing everyone back to the edges of the room, but the center was calm, peaceful and it was here that Harry forced more magic into the chant than he could have ever done.

In that one instance of pure clarity and serenity Harry felt that time had suddenly stopped for him. He could feel the air around him charged, the skin under his finger tips cool to the touch, even the moisture on the back of his neck chilled him to the bone. The feeling of calm radiated out from him, and it was in this moment that his mind suddenly clicked. It was all there, everything that he needed, and all the time that he could have ever wanted to complete his task. Turning his head slowly he could see the blackness slowly pulling out of the two bodies in front of him and vanishing under the power of the white light.

As if time itself was restarting the room slowly started to move again, seconds took minutes to click by until it slowly caught up and people stared in awe as the Boy-Who-Lived collapsed between the two beds of the Black sisters.

Dumbledore was the first to reach him, but it wasn't for lack of trying by either Hermione or Madam Hooch. He set the boy up on the side of the bed and checked him over. Satisfied that he was merely passed out he went to check on the two women.

"Albus, their arms. It's impossible." Andy rushed forward and pulled the sleeve away from her sister's arm, it didn't matter which one at this point as everyone could see that the dark mark had changed.

Where once was a skull with a hideous snake coming out of its mouth, now rested an interesting white tattoo. In the center was a Celtic knot surrounding the Chinese symbol for purity; the entire thing was surrounded in a ring of what appeared to be white oak leaves. The others stared in disbelief at the changed tattoos and then down at the boy still lying on the floor. Thousands of miles away three men were screaming in agony; two because of being tortured and the third for realizing that this time around everything was going to be different.

XoXo

"What do you think could have done it?"

"I don't know, but I have my theories."

"What was that white light that we all saw?"

"I just don't know, we'll only have to wait…" A blur moved across the field of vision and slowly started to come into focus, bright white light and her eyes shut quickly.

"I think that she might be coming around." One of the blurry images beside her leaned over her and her eyes shot open once more. The room came into focus and she could see several people gathered around three beds; two others besides her own. Without meaning to she started to cackle like mad.

"My Dark Lord will reward me greatly for capturing the whittle Harrykins…" Pain, she felt intense pain in her face and she turned towards the blur that was now recognizable as her sister. Her tirade was cut off by a hard slap to the face. "Oh, sorry, old habits." At least she had the decency to look embarrassed as she stared down at the white sheets covering her.

"At least you didn't immediately start screaming for your supposed sex god of a husband. Honestly, he was never that good." The voice from the other bed came through the group of people. When they parted Bellatrix could see her sister Narcissa sitting on an adjoining bed similar to her own. The normally pale cheeks of her sister were tinged red. Bellatrix couldn't help, but giggle, which earned her a smack in the head from a flying pillow.

"What happened anyway? All I remember is being asleep and then feeling like I was being tortured all over again." Bella gripped the sheets as she remembered the horrible feelings that had seeped into her body before.

"I believe that I can answer that question." Dumbledore conjured a chair and sat between the two beds so that he could look at both of them at the same time. "Upon taking the dark mark, you two were bound to Voldemort through your souls and blood. It seems that he used your former husbands to channel enough magic to harm you. If it were not for the intervention of a more powerful magic then you two would have died a most horrific death." Oddly enough his eyes seemed to twinkle a little more as he stared at the two women.

Instinctively both women reached for their left arms and pulled back the sleeves of their nightgowns to see the new white tattoo on their arms. Narcissa giggled a little and slapped a hand over her mouth, using the other to slowly trace the knot as it seemed to be unending and twisted together with the other symbols.

"How did it change? And what does it all mean?" Narcissa spoke through her hand, she worried that she was going to dissolve into very unladylike giggles again. To answer this question it was Hermione that stepped forward towards the group. Up until now she had been standing near the third bed that was in the room. Now she stood at the foot of Narcissa's bed.

"Each is a symbol of purity and light, of goodness and redemption." She clutched the end of the bed and dug into the wood with her claws. "He nearly killed himself to save you two, two ungrateful Death Eaters." She spat the last two words and then turned towards the door to storm out. She was stopped by Andy however whom gripped her shoulders.

"Have you not learned anything yet? My sisters redeemed long before this all happened. It's my understanding that you're the ungrateful woman in this room." Hermione looked appalled at the statement and then nodded as her eyes started to tear up a little.

"I remember now…" Bellatrix called out over the others, waiting for them to turn towards her. "He was there, I saw him."

_The pain was incredible, but she had suffered worse. Her life had been nothing but pain and torture since she had become married against her wills to a man that she didn't love. This was nothing different, that's what she told herself, but she knew that it wasn't true. This pain was above anything that she had ever endured before, and there was a good possibility that she was going to die from it all._

_A light flared in the darkness, blinding her at first, but slowly it started to surround her body and keep her protected from the worst of the pain. Shots of pain still got through the bubble, but it was becoming less and less. Slowly there was no pain at all and she could see a large white space all around her. She was neither sitting nor standing; sort of floating above the space that she assumed was the floor. This assumption was shattered though when she saw a figure coming towards her upside down._

"_Why are you floating near the ceiling, Bella?" Harry asked as he cocked his head to the side just before the world spun on its head and the woman came crashing down before the teenage boy. He laughed a little, but helped her to her feet none the less._

"_What? Where… What's going on, Potter?" She made to go for her wand, but realized that she was still in her nightgown and that she had left it on the side table before going to bed._

"_Just a moment, we've still got one more coming." He held up a hand as Narcissa came crashing through the ceiling, falling out of white space to land sprawled out next to her sister. Unlike the easy entrance of Bella, her sister now had her legs mostly exposed as well as her nightgown straps slipping from her shoulders. Careful to regain her modesty she held it up and fixed the straps before standing up._

"_Where are we?"_

"_I was just asking him that before you joined us, nice thong by the way."_

"_Listen, we don't have a lot of time here, as it is I'm stretching the rules a little." He smiled as the sisters glared at each other. "The important thing to remember is that you two have a chance at redemption. At this moment your bodies are trying to kill themselves, but I can save them if you choose."_

"_What kind of question is that, of course we want to live?" Bella threw her arms into the air and waved them around madly._

"_I think what he means is that there are catches to what he's giving us."_

_  
"Quite right, after this you will never be able to do dark magic ever again. Not saying that you can't dabble, but you will no longer be able to harm someone with intention. You have to truly wish to redeem your souls and walk the path of the light."_

"_How boring, no more torturing people. What if they want me to?" The gleam in her eye was a little disturbing, but she jumped as a bolt of lightning jumped from the floor to her butt. Her sister and Harry laughed for a second. "Ok, ok, I get it. Intention is the key; I can't willingly try to hurt anyone." Harry nodded and held out his hand._

"_Take my hand with your left. If you truly wish to redeem then the rest will take care of itself." Taking a deep breathe both women reached out and touched his hand with their left and were rewarded by a soft warming that crept up their arms and enveloped the space of their forearms in a soft cooling feeling._

At the end of her tale, everyone in the room turned to the third bed that had been pressed against the opposite wall. The prone figure of the man that had saved their lives more than most could keep count slept fitfully. He gripped the sheets tightly in his sleep, and there wasn't one person in the room that didn't feel extreme loyalty and love towards the teenage boy.


	7. Chapter 7

Luna sat on the cold hardwood floor surveying the destruction around her. Pieces of canvas were shredded and lying in piles around her, a piece of gold here, a floating red hair there; but the paintings they were attached to be long gone from her walls. She sat staring at a single emerald green eye that was staring at her from the piece that she held in her hands. Tossing it away she looked at the rest of things around her room before getting up slowly.

Wiping the tears from her face and trying to take on the dreamy expression that she had always had around others; which faltered slightly before she was able to become emotionless once more. The betrayal still hurt, but it was time to start piecing her shattered life back together, and first that started with a trip down the stairs to see her father with the inexplicable and unpronounceable name that started with an X.

"What is it kumquat? I'm working on the next issue of the _Quibbler_ here." Her father spoke without looking up as he heard her come down the stairs and into the main study and printing room of the eccentric newspaper.

"Daddy, I wish to use your mistake machine. I think that perhaps I have made an error in the last two days and wish to know if I can make it up." Luna put her hands behind her back and surveyed the chaos around her.

"Yes, of course, I believe it's around here somewhere." Mr. Lovegood moved around the room shuffling papers and pushing things out of the way with his legs. Finally he came up with a small wooden box that had a wand poking out the side of it and runes covering the top of it. "Here you are, strawberry, just make sure that you don't set it too high, wouldn't want to have another incident."

"Father, that was one time and the Aurors were very understanding once we explained it to them."

"Yes, well, I still have the scars from that one, so be careful." He handed the box over to her and then turned back to the latest article he was working on. The title caught Luna's eye.

"Daddy, what grand conspiracy are you unearthing today?" She leaned over the desk that he was working on to see a picture of Harry entering Gringots; her breath hitched a little and she leaned back to look ashamed.

Unaware of his daughter's uncomfortable feelings about the subject of his article, her father launched into an explanation. "Well, pear, it would seem that our Mr. Potter, upon receiving his inheritance annulled the contracts of the Lestranges and the Malfoys, now a dimwitted paper such as the _Prophet_ might theorize that it was because of his obligations to his family, I know that it was because he was trying to cover up the fact that in the late 18th century the Potter lines were joined by the Malfoys into a contract of incest and pain. Yes, I think that would do nicely."

"Lestrange, as in Bellatrix Lestrange?"

"Yes, interestingly enough, her maiden name was Black. As Harry Potter is the new Lord Black he has control over their lives now. Oh, the Black line has always been known as Dark Wizards, maybe he inherited the powers of Death itself, yes that should do nicely."

Luna paled a little, but left her father alone as he kept muttering about conspiracies against the wizarding world and something about Death himself allying with the Blacks and the vampires in the modern age. Reverently Luna carried the wooden box up to her room and sat it down on her dresser as she sat on the bed to think things over. _My only real friends ratted me out, said it was my idea for the letter. How did Molly get a hold of it in the first place? Harry wouldn't have done that, could he? _Pulling her knees up to her chest she hugged them and then looked at the box.

She sighed and made the decision to go on with it. She turned the wand counterclockwise for two full rotations hearing the resounding clicks within and satisfied with it. Placing her left hand on the box she pointed the wand at her stomach and spoke slowly and clearly.

"istakeme evealre" Smiling she felt the warm blue light surround her and then the box clicked open. Lying inside the box was a stack of paper detailing what had happened in the last two days. Taking the stack from the box she moved back to her bed and sat to read. She knew that it would detail every mistake that she had made in the last two days.

"Hmm…no surprise that I shouldn't have trusted the Weasleys, I should have known they would blame me." Flipping through the pages was like going backwards through the events of the last two days. "Nope, not good to eat that whelk, or her stew." The last page showed what she had been looking for; printed on the line at the top of the parchment was clear.

_Sent letter to friend Harry Potter dissolving friendship and blaming him for events yourself caused._

Luna heaved a great sigh and set the parchment down on the bed as she stared up at the now blank walls and ceiling of her bedroom. She fought hard for the tears not to come, and she almost succeeded, if it were not for the second line that caught her eye. Snatching up the parchment again she quickly scanned the second line and paled. Slumping sideways she fainted right away, the paper slipping from her hands and landing upright on the floor. Blazing still in red across the second line was printed a handful of words that had made her heart thud.

_Did not kiss Hermione Granger_

XoXoXo

"Have you got any threes?"

"Go Fish. Wait a minute; I thought we were playing poker now."

"That was five minutes ago, we've moved on now, catch up will you?"

"You guys think that maybe I should go back to them and explain what happened?"

Setting the cards down on the green velvet of the card table in front of him, Harry Potter surveyed the other people sitting around the table. Taking in each expression, or at least of those that he could see, he shrugged a little and picked them back up.

"We told you before, time works differently here." The deep voice from the hooded figure spoke from his left.

"I suppose in the real world, you've been thrashing in your sleep for a good few hours now, probably due to the thrashing you're receiving in here." The soft feminine voice came from his other side.

"Oh, come on, I didn't loose that badly last time." Counting the chips next to him he groaned a little. "Ok, but you guys have years of experience on me, especially with this guy on your team." He stuck his thumb out at the hooded figure next to him.

"He has nothing to do with it, Harry, you know that." His fourth companion spoke up across from him before setting his own cards down on the table. "Yeah, I guess it is getting a little boring in here."

"I should get back to explain everything to them, come to think of it; you never did really explain to me what happened." Harry set his cards down and stared pointedly at the three other people around the table. The other three let out a prolonged sigh and set their cards down on the table as well.

"Ok, we told you about the love that you felt for your family unlocking your core. You poured enough love and pure feeling into that action that you were able to change their fates." The woman spoke slowly.

"Yeah, I'm still a little pissed about that, no matter how much I beat you at cards." The figure in the hood laughed a little before going silent at the glare from the woman across from him.

"Harry, what you need to understand is that up until that point your core had been hindered by automatic blocks placed on your magic. Releasing that much magic at one time caused your core to fill up to it's capacity very fast, and your body had to compensate." The man leaned over the table to stare into Harry's eyes with his own striking blue ones.

"Who placed these blocks on my magic then? Voldemort?"

"Please, he doesn't have the power to do that, no matter what he might think." The hooded figure shook its head. "No, your blocks were inherited after the events of October 31st 1981. What do you know about what happened to your parents, Harry?"

"I was always told that my mother protected me and her love was what caused me to live."

"Well, that's only partially true. If it were completely true then don't you think more people would have survived the curse? Then there's the fact that if the curse merely rebounded on you, then why was the house destroyed?"

"Unfortunately we are to blame for your house and your blocks. When your mother died you were so overcome with grief and rage that even in your infant state your magic flared to dangerous levels. The killing cure did rebound off of you and imprint that scar and everything else, but that flare of magic was what caused it, as well as the destruction of your house." She stared at the table slightly ashamed at what they had to do to save the poor boy.

"So it was you three that put the blocks on my magic then?"

"We consulted, and it was ultimately decided that since you were unable to handle the burden of that magic, then you should come into it in a slow fashion. We didn't have any idea that you would put your life on the line for those two."

"Well, I did, but these two never listen to me." The man chuckled gently and sat back with his arms crossed. "We all knew that one day you would feel love and acceptance enough to break through the blocks, we had only hoped that you would be ready when the time came. Thankfully we were right."

"You call this prepared?" Harry waved his hands around at the empty white space surrounding the four players, the table and the chairs that they were sitting on.

"You would have preferred dying in the effort, because I can arrange that?" Even though the figure was hooded the other three could hear the smile in his voice. Rolling her eyes the woman continued.

"We're sorry, Harry, but it was necessary. Now you have full access to your powers as well as the ability to call upon any of us to consult should you need us."

The magic around the white space flared slightly and changed color, flashing to red before turning back to the flat boring white that it was. From a distance another figure started to walk towards them. She was dressed as two of his companions were in soft white billowing robes, off color slightly from the background, but she had a cloak that appeared to be made of snake scales, fluttering behind her; her long black hair doing the same. At her appearance the other three of his companions stood and looked back to her.

"It should be almost time to send him back, have you four been having fun?" Her voice was lighthearted, but still held a steel edge to it even as she smiled.

"You always ruin our fun, you know that?" The man stretched his arms over his head and looked over Harry's shoulder. "I was wrong, she always ruins our fun." Turning around Harry saw another woman entering behind him, her blonde hair fluttered around her petite form; she was a little on the pudgy side, but the off white robes were flattering to her body none the less.

"Oh pooh, you spoiled my entrance." The blonde giggled girlishly and then flung her arms around Harry's neck slightly glaring at the others as she spoke. "I didn't get to say Hi before, so I get to say goodbye."

"Not like that you will; the poor boy wouldn't be able to love another woman. Remember what happened last time?" The woman that had occupied the seat to his right grabbed the blonde by the back of her robes and dragged her off of Harry.

"Oh, come on, that was one time, and plus I'm married now." The blonde straightened her robes and flashed a gold ring on her left hand.

"You were married before and that still didn't stop you." The black haired woman retorted, putting her hands on her hips.

"Anyway, just remember Harry that you have all the power you will ever need within you. If you need us, simply call out and we'll come at any time, just be careful of this one." The man jerked a thumb in the direction of the blonde whom stuck out her tongue and blew a raspberry at him before crossing her arms over her chest.

"You'll do fine, my boy. Don't worry about the present, continue to train and focus your magic even more." The woman to his right leaned in and hugged him gently, kissing him on the cheek.

"Well, I should be going as well, that Riddle keeps me pretty busy." The hooded figure stood and stretched, regarding Harry as well. "I trust you with this, it's a backup, but it still does a good job, just be careful with it around your friends." He held out a long black staff, it wasn't marvelous in any regard and didn't look impressive, it was just a straight piece of black wood, but Harry felt the power when he touched it.

Harry nodded dully and watched as the figures started to fade out of existence and into the white background around them. The blonde was still struggling against the two strong females holding her back trying to get to Harry and the man chuckled as he waved. The hooded figure lifted up his hand to wave, displaying the empty skeletal hand beneath the cloak. In a moment his life slowly faded away into blackness and he could hear someone sobbing and other voices all around him.

XoXoXo

After the chaos that ensued after the tale of Bellatrix and Narcissa, most of which came from the various people's concern for Harry, a watch shift was instated so that someone was always seated next to Harry's bedside in case he should awaken. Dumbledore himself had taken the first watch, sitting in the chair and reading the latest edition of the _Quibbler_ and chuckling to himself about the stories that had come out about the new Lord Black. The other two patients in the makeshift hospital room were moved elsewhere and sat up talking about their experiences with their sister.

The second watch was taken over by both Remus and Tonks, sitting on either side of Harry's bed. They conversed in low tones over his body after they determined that he really was out like a light. The two had grown close over their time in the Order, but neither of them really considered it to be romantic at all; they were too similar and too close to really risk it like that. Through the course of their watch, Tonks had nearly convinced Remus to ask out a fellow Auror and Order member the next chance he got. At the shift change they went to her room to look through photos of said witch.

The third watch started just as the sun was starting to peek over the tops of the buildings of Grimmauld Place. Professor McGonagall took this shift, coming back from Hogwarts specifically for her shift. She leafed through the latest issue of _Tansfiguration Today_ before giving up on reading and spending most of the time staring at Harry rolling around in his sleep. She was concerned for him, both as a teacher and as a friend. She had flown into a rage when she had found out about her friend being bound to him, as everyone knew that she would, but now her anger softened as she watched the boy have some sort of nightmare.

At nearly noon, McGonagall was relieved to go to lunch by the collective Black sisters. She gave them a glare at all three of them being there, but relented and disappeared down the stairs and into the kitchen where most of the rest of the Order were gathering. Bella sat down on one side of Harry and Cissy on the other with Andy pacing back and forth in front of the bed. Since waking up, the two eldest Black sisters felt compelled to be beside Harry, and an overwhelming sense of guilt for their past crimes. At almost three o'clock in the afternoon, Harry having been unconscious for nearly twelve hours, the door to the bedroom opened emitting a robed and mad Hermione Granger.

"What are you two doing here?" She glared at the two women sitting on either side of the bed. At the declaration both of them jumped up and reached for their wands.

"Now then, enough of that, can't we all get along?" Andy stepped between the teenage catgirl and her sisters.

"She killed Sirius, did you know that?" Hermione flashed her wand towards Bella, whom looked ashamed, but still mad at her.

"I didn't kill him, it was V..V..Voldemort." Her left arm flinched in preparation for pain that she had felt before for saying the name, but nothing came from the new white tattoo. "In any case, Dumbledore checked us and even Lupin believes me. He told me what you and your friends did to Harry." She ignored the looks from her sisters at using the boy's first name.

"You have no idea how hard it was to leave him like that." Hermione was sobbing a little now, her wand hand shaking slightly. "It was Ron and Ginny, they said that we would be better off without him. Do you have any idea how hard it is to tell someone that you…that I.." She broke off as she sobbed harder, collapsing against the door.

The women lowered their wands and went to the girl, gently kneeling down and helping her to her feet. Their past strife was forgotten as they lowered her to the chair on Harry's right. Bella and Cissy sat down on the bed next to Harry, making sure that there was enough room beforehand and Andy sat down on a chair on the other side of the sobbing witch.

"Hermione, you love him, don't you?" Andy gently petted the girl's head, watching her fur get wet from the tears as she gently nodded.

"Yes, but…I can't have him. I love another as well." Looking down almost ashamed she sobbed some more. "I could never choose between them."

The women were saved from having to answer when there was a moan from the side of them. Sliding off the bed Cissy and Bella looked back to Harry, kneeling on the floor next to him. He moaned again and his body went still, his eyes fluttered a little and then shut tightly against the light.

"Someone turn that light off, its way too bright in here."


	8. Chapter 8

The first thing that Harry became aware of when he slowly started to wake up was sobbing, and voices. There was a pressure against the bed that he was lying on that moved when he opened his mouth to speak. His eyes fluttered experimentally and found that the light was harsh and bright. He should have remembered from waking up in the infirmary at Hogwarts so many times that one had to slowly open the eyes to get used to the light. Right now he really didn't care what had to be done; he just hated that blasted light.

"Someone turn that light off, its way too bright in here." Opening his eyes a little more slowly and sitting up, also proved to be a bad idea. He was forced back onto the bed by a furry sobbing missile to his chest and two larger forms barreling him over back onto the bed.

Andy was surprised when Harry opened his eyes again, and even more surprised by the reaction of those around her. She giggled uncontrollably as she watched not only a sobbing Hermione, but her sisters' crash into the poor boy and pushes him back down into the bed. By now all three of the women were sobbing against him, and Harry had no clue what was going on. Moving in she decided to intervene and pushed most of the girls to an arm length away, sitting down on the other side of the boy and taking his hand in hers.

"How do you feel, Harry? You gave us all quite a scare." She spoke slowly and looked into his eyes, having been trained as a mind healer she knew that was where the damage could be visible. The other three women formed a loose circle around Harry on his bed, wanting to be close him.

"I'm fine; it's these three I'm worried about." He gave the classic Harry smile that would have melted any female's heart and showed concern at the same time. This was only broken when Hermione punched his arm rather hard.

"Harry James Potter, don't you ever scare us like that again, what in the world were you thinking!?" If Harry thought he was going to get support from the others, he was wrong as they glared at him to respond.

"Ok, so it was a little foolish, but it worked, didn't it? Dumbledore and I had a conversation last year on the nature of the Dark Mark. He explained to me that the act of killing someone brands the person and the act of love could take it away. The problem was that our good Lord Voldemort wasn't about to let his servants go; however we found a loophole in his schemes."

"Obviously, Harry, otherwise both of us would be dead." Cissy responded, putting a hand on her left forearm over the white tattoo almost protectively. She didn't respond to the scandalous looks from her sisters or Hermione.

"Yes, the loophole was that since he attacked me as a baby and used some of my blood for his resurrection; then I could control a part of his power. I've already demonstrated that by being a parselmouth and through the visions that I have received over the years. Since we didn't have any Death Eaters to try it on, the theory remained just that until now." He shrugged and looked at the confused looks around him, slowly they turned into angry looks and the shouting started. From what he could discern through the noise of three voices at once they were outraged that he had tried something that might never had worked or could have killed him in the process. He thought it best not to mention then that he might have been dead for several hours.

Thinking back on the entire experience he wondered if it really was a dream. Could it have simply been a coma induced fantasy that his mind created to cope with his situation? He didn't think that it was that though, he could still feel the power rippling through him from both his gift and from the people that he had spoken to. All of the figures in his dream like state had emitting high levels of magic, some more than others, but he felt confident that it had not been an idle dream and had really occurred.

Internally he shrugged off the thoughts for the time being and figured that he would try and connect with what he had been given as well as try and contact his new friends. Slowly tuning back into the shouting he came back in just as the door to the bedroom burst open emitting a hasty Dumbledore with his wand drawn followed by McGonagall, Tonks, Lupin, and the Weasley twins whom seemed overjoyed to see Harry again.

"Hello, silent and nearly dead partner of ours." Fred, or George who could really tell, quickly rushed to Harry's side and shook his hand quickly and pulled the women away from him. "Move over Ladies have important business to discuss."

"What about Ron and Ginny? I thought you guys were avoiding me like the plague right now?"

"Nonsense, you're the best thing that ever happened to our family and if they can't see that then it's their fault, not ours."

"We always believed in you, Harry, even before you paid us off."

"Plus I think you should know whom has been causing some problems for the no good siblings of ours." The twins beamed slightly, but it was Lupin whom jumped in, leaning against the wall with one arm propped up.

"It seems that this old Marauder still has some bite left in him. I sent a copy of their letter to them."

"Yes, and we conveniently dropped it on the floor the last time we went home." The twins said in unison.

"Seemed as though mother wasn't too happy with the outcome, although the big gits blamed it all on poor Luna Lovegood." Hermione looked up at the name and looked angry, but was cut off by Dumbledore as he came into Harry's line of sight.

"Come now, we should let Harry rest from his ordeal. I'm sure that he'll speak of it in time." He patted his shoulder gently and got up to leave the room followed by most of the adults, the teenagers hanging back until the adults had left and closing the door.

"Ok, now that we've got rid of them, tell me what happened at the Burrow." Hermione was insistent about it.

"Interesting look there, Mione, trying to impress our dog of a brother again?" This earned the twin a slap on the arm and he winced a little which earned a snicker from Harry and the other redheaded menace.

"You said that they blamed it all on Luna?"

"Yeah, we left a recording crystal that got it all before reappearing in our shop. New invention that we're trying out; drop it anywhere you want to listen in and you never have to return for it. It's got a built in timer or you can set it for a specific emotion and when it goes away the crystal returns." Fred pulled a small green crystal from his pocket and set it up on the table near Harry's bed. All four of them crowded around it as he tapped it with his wand and the crystal projected an image just like a thirty-four inch television screen.

XoXo

_Fred slipped the crystal between two pots sitting on a low shelf, making sure that it had enough space to be hidden, but still see the whole of the kitchen from where it was sitting. His brother was distracting their parents by pretending to ask them to come to the shop one day and check out what they're working on. They both agreed that it would never happen considering their mother despised them working out on their own._

"_No, I absolutely refuse. You two are from one of the oldest pureblood families and you're making a living selling junk to tourists." Mrs. Weasley crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her sons, whom had the presence of mind to move away from her and back towards the fireplace._

"_If you ever reconsider, you know where to find us." George called out just as they disappeared into the green flames._

"_Honestly, Molly, why do we put up with those two? We should just disown them and get on with our lives, I'm sure that Percy would come back." Arthur Weasley crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair a little until a piece of paper caught his eye._

_Getting up to get the paper there was a tapping at the window from an owl. It was an official looking owl that had an envelope in it's beak with the Gringots seal. Thinking that they had gotten more money, Molly rushed to the window and tore the letter from the owl. The owl ruffled its feathers at the woman before taking flight. Tearing open the letter she slammed it down on the table just as Arthur was standing back up._

"_That ungrateful little brat, after everything that we've done for him this is how he repays us." The paper was forgotten as he set it down on the table and listened to his wife. "The goblins say that he's rejected our offer on the contract. We put so much hard work into the boy and now this! You would think he would be grateful for us giving up so much for him, but no, he throws it back in our faces."_

"_Molly, dear, you knew very well when we made the contract that he could contest it if this ever happened. I agree that he should be grateful that he would get her, but we can't be all that surprised."_

"_He was always interested in her, even when they met on the platform before Ron's first year, I saw the sparks. Even she knew that they were always going to be together, and now all the hard work that we put into this is gone to ruin." Molly stormed around the kitchen knocking pots and pans off the shelves with her wand. Thankfully the shelf with the crystal remained untouched as it continued to record._

"_Molly, there are still plenty of other ways to get his money, you know this. We still have…"_

"_No, Arthur, all of that was turned down by the goblins. This was our only shot and now he's ruined it by coming of age soon. Did you see the callous way that he treated us? He knew something before the will reading, even denying Hermione those books was peculiar."_

"_You don't think the kids had anything to do with that? If they talked to him then it could have affected him badly to the point where he would refuse the contract and put us in this situation." Arthur leaned forward, grateful to diffuse some of his wife's anger onto their children, even if it was a little underhanded._

"_Yes, I suppose they could have said something, but they've always been great friends. Ginny and Ron both owe their lives to Harry after he saved them." Molly moved to sit back down at the table now noticing the crumpled paper that her husband had picked up. "What's this?"_

"_Probably just Ron's OWL results, you know that he tries to hide these things from us." Arthur picked up the paper, smoothing it out as he started to read. As he read the color drained from his face so his wife grabbed the paper from under his hand; needless to say she wasn't very happy with the outcome either._

"_GINEVRA, RONALD, GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!" Molly screamed at the top of her lungs, causing some things to rattle around in the kitchen. It was only seconds before the thundering on the stairs came to a halt at the end._

_As the children came skidding around the corner and into the kitchen, the two redheads and the blonde slipped and ended up in a pile with each other. Attempting to pull each other off the others only made it worse as robes, hair, and even fingers got caught on each other and they continued to fall all over each other for a few minutes. Molly finally had enough and grabbed her daughter by the ear and pulled her to her feet, allowing Luna and Ron to finally stand up._

"_Explain this!" Molly shoved the letter into her daughter's hands and watched as her face lost what little color it had left. "Whose idea was this anyway?" She affixed a stare at all three of them that would cow even the most violent Death Eater._

"_It was all Luna's idea." Ginny snapped quickly, shoving the letter back at her mother. "We didn't want to, but she said that since she was injured so much at the Department of Mysteries that we owed it to her." Luna looked horrified, even more so when Ron defended the decision._

"_Luna, dear, why would you do this to us? You've been a family friend for years and now you undermine us like this." Ron put on his best scowl and stared down the scared Ravenclaw. Luna started to tear up and ran past Molly, flinging open the door and disappearing out into the garden._

"_Good, now that her influence is gone, perhaps we can do some damage control. You two, are going to apologize to Harry and try to get him to reconsider your friendship." Molly didn't mention the marriage contract as she figured that if they were friends once again then the contract would come up eventually. "Write to Hermione as well and see if she knows where Harry disappeared to after the will reading."_

"_If he's not at his Aunt's place he might be at headquarters."_

"_No, I've already checked with Dumbledore and he says that Harry returned to the safety of his Aunt's. We might not be able to write to him because of the protection wards around his house." Molly seemed to genuinely believe what she was saying, perhaps Dumbledore had lied to her. As she started to pace back and forth in the kitchen the image slowly faded back to black._

XoXoXo

As the projection had played itself out the four teens had booed the elder Weasley's and then got even more livid when the youngest two blamed the poor blonde Ravenclaw. Hermione was completely furious as she paced the floor and didn't even pay much attention to the last parts of it as she muttered curses under her breath. Once the recording was over George leaned in to whisper to Harry.

"Mate, how do we know that she can be trusted?" Harry nodded a little, but Hermione wheeled around.

"Of course you can trust me; I never wanted to sign that stupid thing in the first place. Now they've got poor Luna crying, oh I'll kill the pair of them." The twins leaned back a little away from the catgirl and marveled at the anger coming off of her. "Plus it's those two women that you should be worried about, scarlet women and Death Eaters to boot."

"Scarlet women you say?" One of the twins got a far off look in his eye before he was elbowed by his brother.

"Hermione, you saw for your own eyes what happened with the dark mark. That could have only happened if they truly wanted to change, besides Mooney and I had a nice conversation with the pair of them under Veritaserum." Harry leaned back against the bed so that he was sitting up and rubbed at his forehead a little.

"Oh Harry, I'm so sorry about all of this happening, but it was just so crazy and Ginny convinced us all that you were the enemy. Obviously Molly can't find you here even if it is still being used as headquarters." The others nodded with that assessment; if the matron had known then she would have been buttering him up to take his friends back.

"So our dear Mother can't find you here, but what are we going to do with our rat-fink family then?"

"Perhaps we should break out some of our more devious devices, brother of mine."

"No, guys." Harry smiled a little as he looked between the twins. "I think I might be able to do something even better, but it might scar your mother for life." The twins looked perplexed, but thinking it over while Hermione chewed on her lip patiently waiting and weighing out the choices.

"Emotionally or physically scarred?"

"Emotionally, hopefully to the point where she would never manipulate anyone ever again, although it might have the side effect of having her is a little more over protective."

"Hey, we're not there anymore, what do we care?"

"Harry, you can't be serious about this, she's a human being." Hermione begged, but her emotions didn't seem to back up the statement.

"I know that Molly is afraid of her children dying, and no, I'm not going to kill anyone. Ron's mostly afraid of spiders, but what's Ginny afraid of?"

"Being poor." The twins spoke in stereo before George picked it up. "It wasn't so bad until she started Hogwarts and saw everyone else with new robes. I think that having her life ruined would really scare her, but what does all of this matter, Harry?"

"I have some friends that might want to help me get some revenge. In fact, I'm pretty sure that they'll be leading the charge against them." Harry thought he could hear a chorus of snickers in his head, but he mentally waved it off as just his imagination. "In the mean time, I think that we'll need to get in shape and start training without using magic." The twins groaned at this, but Hermione brightened up considerably, her tail twitching back and forth happily.


	9. Chapter 9

It was Saturday August 5th that found Harry lounging in the library reading through a few of the Black family texts as well as his homework sprawled out around him. Since his magical core had been unlocked a few days ago he felt that memory retention wasn't an issue and he was suddenly learning much more than he had in the rest of his life. Sitting comfortably in one of the leather chairs with a potions text open on his lap he didn't even look up when the door opened.

"Harry, do you mind if I talk with you?" Hermione had been avoiding him since he had woken up, but now it seemed that curiosity had gotten the better of her.

"Sure thing, Hermione." He set the book aside and sat up a little straighter in the chair.

"What exactly happened between you and the Black sisters?" She sank herself down into a chair opposite of him.

"At least you're calling them that instead of filthy Death Eaters like before." Harry laughed as Hermione blush a little. "Bella told me about what she saw, but I don't remember any of that. All I remember is seeing things freeze when I had my hand on their arms. Their bodies stopped moving and I saw a black smoke like thing coming out of them before I passed out. Then I heard you four talking about me and woke up."

"What about the spell that you used? I haven't found anything about it or what it's supposed to do?"

"As near as I can tell it is a darkness purging spell. Although, I think you should be the one telling me this instead of the other way around. I'm not even sure it was a real spell, Dumbledore just told me what to say and I focused my magic on healing them."

"How do we know that they can be trusted?"

"You heard her story and seen their new marks, as near as I can tell they can never cast a spell with ill intent behind it. We can go now and see if they can kill me if it'll satisfy your curiosity." He smiled gently and Hermione just snorted a little at the idea.

"Harry, this is serious! If they've really reformed then that's great, but what are we going to do about Neville. He still wants to kill Bellatrix for what she did to his parents."

"I already talked to her about that as well. She regrets it, but doesn't remember doing it. It might have been one more of those things that Voldemort made her do, or even her own husband whom was captured with her."

"I suppose, but you know that there is no way we're going to convince him that she didn't do it."

"Perhaps if I can help them then the truth will come out. In any case, I doubt that this is what you really wanted to talk to me about." He smiled as he watched her tail twitch a little at the realization that she was found out.

"Yes, well, I was hoping that you would be ok with letting Luna come stay here with us. We can hide her, just like we are you from Molly as well as the rest of the Order. I just feel guilty that she's taking all the heat from Mrs. Weasley for the letter; something that she didn't want to really do in the first place."

"Hermione, I like Luna, but you two both willingly gave into the Weasley manipulations way too easily. You of all people should have seen through them. Regardless of what I told the twins, I don't fully trust you or Luna right now."

"Oh Harry." She fell to her knees next to the chair. "I should have seen it, but I…well…I really liked Ron at the time and he was making a lot of sense. God that sounds horrible now, but at the time I was willing to believe anything he said and having Ginny to remind us of all the danger that we've all been in, well, it just seemed too much."

"Hermione, you're talking to the wrong person here about this. You'll have to talk to Remus about Luna." It was at this point that the surviving Marauder came into the room.

"Ask me about what?" He carried a thick folder with old looking parchments coming out of the top of it and bulging along the sides. The folder itself was worn yellow and seemed to have been handled a lot recently. Hermione jumped to her feet and moved towards him.

"I was hoping that we could bring Luna here, she doesn't need to know where she is or even that it's headquarters, but the Weasley weasels have turned on her and I think she and her family needs protection especially with all the things written in the _Quibbler _about the war." Lupin scratched his chin thoughtfully and then shrugged.

"It's said that the Lovegood residence is one of the most protected in that region, however I will offer my services and talk to the Headmaster about it. We can offer them emergency port keys incase something happens." Harry looked up and nodded a little.

"I think that's a good idea, maybe we should set up an emergency network in case someone is attacked. They could be brought to a secure location along with their families, maybe not here, but we can use a Potter or Black property, couldn't we?" Mooney nodded slowly as he thought it over.

"Yes, I suppose, I'll have to talk to Dumbledore about getting port keys made for those that can be trusted. In the mean time, I think we should talk Harry. Something I found in here is a little disturbing, but knowing you I wouldn't be surprised." He retrieved a yellowed piece of parchment form the top of the folder.

Passing the parchment over to Harry, Hermione automatically took up a position just over his shoulder so that she could read it as well. She had taken up this habit the previous year when they were formulating plans for the DA as well as for notes that they would receive from individual members. Now however Harry realized how obtrusive it was to have her there, but it couldn't be helped right now. Staring down at the list of names he read the top of the list and started laughing holding his sides.

"Are you sure that this is legitimate?"

"Oh yes, I've already checked the dates and names, it all makes sense. Although the last names, specifically the one three up from the bottom is interesting." Harry read the listed names and nodded slowly.

"Yes, I suppose that would be interesting, do they know yet?" At a shake from Mooney Harry got a wolfish grin and nodded. "I think that it's time that we let them in on the secret, what do you think, Hermione?" He looked to the bushy haired witch over his shoulder that had gone uncharacteristically silent and pale.

XoXoXo

_The meeting place for the DA had always been the Room of Requirement, and Harry started to wonder if maybe they should have moved the meeting around for a while so that they could keep their meetings secret. True there was no where else in the castle that they knew of that was able to hold that many people, but still it was a problem that he thought about constantly. Walking down the hallways of Hogwarts just after the meeting he was lost in thought when he heard a shout nearby._

"_Let go of me you great brute." The girl's voice was muffled somewhat as if someone was trying to cover her mouth with a rag. Peeking around the corner he saw Padma Patil being held by two large Slytherin girls while a third stood in front of her. The girl in front of the Ravenclaw prefect was twirling a beautiful mahogany wand between her fingers while holding another to the girl's throat._

"_You've been stepping in on our territory, Patil. We've heard that you're trying to snag yourself a pure-blood, and we know that you wouldn't try and do that under our noses, would you?" The girl sneered a little, but Padma seemed to be completely confused about what was going on, still the girl continued. "We've heard about your little crushes after a few of our boys, and we just can't have that."_

_Harry had seen enough to know that the girl's weren't going to just let Padma go and not do anything about what they were doing. Calming himself and taking a few deep breathes he pulled his wand from his pocket and held it behind his back ready to be used. Carefully he walked around the corner making it look like he was just walking that way back to the tower. The three Slytherins snapped up and stared at the approaching figure as he moved and stopped in front of the small group._

"_Oh, Hello girls, having a little study session on hexes and escapes." Harry smiled widely and caught the eyes of Padma, she seemed frightened but a little more comforted by the fact that he was there._

"_Keep walking, Potter, this concerns us pure-bloods not a filthy half-blood like yourself." The girl with Padma's wand sneered keeping the wand trained on the other girl's throat. Harry positioned his wand in just the right angle and waited for the opportunity to use it. "Why don't you just run along to your mudblood friends?"_

_Harry flicked his eyes to Padma and gave a silent nod as if telling her he was about to do. With a casual flick of his hand and a muttered curse a bolt of orange light seared from his wand striking the nearby suit of armor and ricocheting off of it down the hall to another. In a moment the entire hallway flared of orange light and Harry rushed forward, pushing Padma to the cold stone floor. As their bodies pressed against the floor the flare of light from his wand intensified in the hallway and blazed white before three thuds could be heard around them._

_Standing up slowly Harry leaned down to offer his hand to Padma to help her to her feet. Around them were the three bodies of the Slytherin girls unconscious but clearly still breathing. Bending over he picked up her wand and handed over the mahogany wand to the surprised Ravenclaw._

"_We take care of our own." Harry smiled gently and then moved down towards the hallway away from the scene. Looking back he gave a small wave to the stunned Ravenclaw as he disappeared around the corner and back towards the Griffindor Castle. Any instance where he could cause some problems for the Slytherins he took the chance._

XoXoXo

While Number Twelve Grimmauld Place served as the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, it also served as the hiding spot for some of the most wanted people in all of Britain. Under this single roof were both of the Black sisters, a werewolf, and the Boy Who Lived, some of them even sought after by their own members. They were all kept hidden through a series of tricks and simple code words to alert others that those that were not in the know were going to be showing up soon.

As it was not one of the few days that the entire Order was there for a meeting or something or other, there was no need for codes or hiding the people. Narcissa and Bellatrix were lounging in the living room near a large stack of books; mostly for Narcissa than for her sister. Professor McGonagall kept a watchful eye on the pair, but it had seem futile after some time that they weren't going to do anything devious like in their youths.

It was in this scene of serenity that Harry came into, with Remus and Hermione trailing behind him. The three new arrivals took in the scene and smiled a little at how tame the girls seemed now after all the pranks being pulled and the years of being under the vilest Dark Lord in history. Bella even seemed to have gotten some of her beauty back from the time she spent in Azkaban.

"Ladies, I think that there is something that you should see." Harry produced the sheet of paper without any preamble and showed the girls the last three names on the list. "I think that now would be an appropriate time to panic." Indeed the girls snatched the paper from his hands, checking the gold seal at the bottom, the other names, anything to indicate that it was wrong.

"What do you have there, Mr. Potter?" The prim transfiguration professor pushed the glasses further up her nose and set aside the book that she had been reading.

"It's a list of all the life debts owed to me from the first moment that I stepped into the wizarding world. The last three names are Bellatrix Lestrange, Narcissa Black, and Bellatrix Black." Harry smiled as the three ladies seemed to pale a little.

"How is it that she's on here twice then?" Cissy looked up from the paper to her sister, seeing her face pale slightly.

"The Ministry, he was going to kill me and the head…" She looked from the parchment and over to a smiling Harry. Before anyone could stop her she had launched herself off the floor and slammed hard into the teen, knocking him to the floor. The other adults had their wands out to get her off, that was until they heard her sobbing softly.

"After she killed Sirius I chased her out into the atrium at the Ministry. There Voldemort had his wand pointed at her and raving about her failure in the Department of Mysteries, apparently he was getting ready to kill her when I sent the head off the golden statue knocking him sideways." Harry explained slowly, gently patting Bella's back in a soft and soothing manner, letting her cry it out on his shoulder.

"I suppose that means that we owe our lives to you, Harry, and it's something that most pure-bloods take very seriously." Cissy lowered her head a little, ashamed at what had happened.

"I don't understand, what's going on?" Hermione pleaded with the only two adults that seemed to keep their senses.

"Hermione, you're a brilliant witch, but you know nothing of wizard tradition or law. Because Harry saved their lives, he now could call their lives his own and they would have to obey. Should he choose, he could strip them of their magic and make them little more than slaves?" McGonagall explained slowly, but kept the soft smile on her lips as she knew what was coming. Hermione spun on her heels and glared down at her friend and started to open her mouth to speak, but was cut off by said friend still covered in a sobbing elder witch.

"No, Hermione, I'm not going to do anything of the sort." He sat up slowly, helping Bella to sit down against the nearby sofa. "I will not require either of your lives only that you fight by my side and advise me when necessary. You two know more about wizarding law then I could ever hope to know." He patted both of their shoulders and blush a little as they affixed him with confused stares, only to be barreled over once again, this time by a bushy haired witch from the back, forcing his face into the carpet.

Harry laughed and pulled himself up off the floor blushing horribly and was soon joined in laughing from the other people in the room. Genuinely it was going to be a good day for those living within the walls of number twelve Grimmauld place and it was only going to be marred by the arrival of a certain quartet of redheads a few hours later, just after lunch.


	10. Chapter 10

Ronald Weasley was not having a good day. Not having a good day probably would have been an understatement given his current situation. Standing naked in the middle of the Quidditch pitch while it was filled with laughing and cheering fans was one thing, but on the side of the field was a very happy and triumphant Harry Potter holding up the World cup in all its glory.

He had no idea how he had gotten here, but he seemed to remember something about a game and loosing his clothes somewhere in the middle of it, but that was it. Anger rose into his cheeks as he raised his wand to hex Harry, only to watch the end of it fizzle and die with the curse still on his lips. Using his hands to cover his body it was hard to try and curse someone and protect your modesty at the same time.

Ron raised his wand again, this time not caring if people saw him naked and shouted out the vilest curse he could think of, but his wand just fizzled and fell limp in his hand. Shaking the wand violently only caused people around him to laugh harder at his misfortune, but still did not produce anything. Looking up he saw Professor Dumbledore striding over the grass towards him.

"Mr. Weasley, it would appear that you are no longer a wizard. As such your mind will be altered and you will be placed in a muggle orphanage to live out the rest of your life as a muggle." Dumbledore raised his wand as the memory charm was about to be cast. Ron fell to his knees and sobbed gently falling into the coolness of the grass that changed into the warmth of his sheets.

Lurching forward he fell off the bed and awoke, shaking as he stared around the room. He was safe in his bedroom at the Burrow, but the memory of the dream still remained. It was the same nightmare that he relived every night for the past several days, and it was taking a toll on his body. He was feeling weak, his face pale and even his hair had lost some of the vibrant color.

XoXo

Ginny sat on the cold flagstones, the cold slicing up through her bare feet and legs. She kept her head low, the tangled matted curtain of hair obscuring her face from those that were passing near her. She heard the scoffs, exclaims of people and those that would never come near her. She was determined to keep her eyes closed; it wouldn't happen if she couldn't see it. Wrapping her arms around her body she felt her ribs through the cloth that she had worn as a dress for so long.

Her body was smaller than normal from being malnourished and her bones stuck out of her arms, but she didn't notice nor care about this. All she cared about was keeping her eyes closed and the tears out of her eyes.

"It must have been fifteen feet long by the time I got to it. Poor chap couldn't even control the beast." The masculine kind voice floated over the air and into her ears. Clapping her hands over her ears she tried to block out all sound, they couldn't see her if she couldn't see them.

"Oh Harry, you're so brave, how do you do it all?" A feminine voice cooed nearby and Ginny could tell they were getting closer.

"You two really need to get a life, I'm married, you know." He responded a little harsh to the other two voices, but it was at this point that a bump into Ginny's body came and the voice turned towards her. "Ginny? Is that you?" She was bound and determined to keep her eyes shut and her head down, but she felt the people getting closer to her.

"Oh, leave that vagabond alone, Harry. She deserved what she got." She opened her eyes quickly and met emerald green orbs attached to a much more mature face of Harry Potter. She started to cry silently.

"Ginny, you turned your back on your true friends. You gave up during the war and your family lost everything; you even gave yourself to Draco Malfoy to stop the torturing, but that didn't work, did it?" He was compassionate as always and it sliced through her heart as she cried silently. He reached out and gently moved some hair away from her face to show an ugly scar that ran from the base of her hairline down to her neck on her left side.

"Ugh, how can you touch such a thing?" Harry's beautiful companion scoffed at it and then quickly moved away. Harry himself scowled after the woman but slowly stood and handed Ginny a stack of galleons.

"I'll see you again later, Ginny. Take care of yourself." As the more mature young man trotted up the alley, Ginny found herself screaming into the cold night.

"Harry, please don't leave me, I'm sorry!!" Ginny was staring around at the empty bedroom at the Burrow.

Looking down at herself she saw her usual nightgown plastered to her body from the sweat of the nightmare. Collapsing back into the bed she sobbed gently into the pillow. It came, every night, no matter what she tried; she couldn't avoid seeing those older more mature eyes, to hear the insults to her family and her body. What hurt her most from the nightmare was that Harry still cared; he always gave her money, and always promised to help her, even after what had happened. Ginny Weasley cried into her pillow as she heard the telltale thump of her brother again falling out of bed from his own nightmare.

XoXo

The force of the spell slashed against the weak shield and pushed back the pair of redheads until they were kneeling and gasping for breath on the ground. A new tactic needed to be tried. They both raised their wands and cast a powerful bludgeoning curse that pushed back their attackers, but they continued to come. Black robes billowing behind them and their white masks concealing the sneers on their faces.

A battleground spread out around the eldest pair of Weasleys. Dead bodies littered the ground and at their feet was the lithe form of their daughter, her eyes still open in surprise but cold and lifeless. Far away they could still hear the battle between the small teenage boy and the much older and snake-like man that he was destined to face.

Molly supported her husband as they stumbled through the battleground towards a small thatch of trees that would offer them cover, they always did. As they stumbled around they saw bodies of Death Eaters and of their children, Ron lay next to Luna Lovegood, their hands clasped as they had died fighting next to each other. Off in the darkened forest there were sounds of the crashing giants, the coldness of the dementors and the screams of the dying. Closing her eyes didn't prevent the sounds from coming to her ears, but it was what happened next that frightened her the most.

"Mum." The strangled voice of her eldest, Bill, came from the mist curtained around the ground. He was still alive, but only just. "Please, help us, you have to realize now that money means nothing." He stumbled and fell.

She tried to turn her eyes away from the scene, but it was too much. Her husband and her watched as a robed figure appeared before them and bent down to touch the fallen Weasley. The bony hand touched the man's face and it went blank as the mist slowly parted for the robed figure.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM." Arthur screamed next to his wife, but it was no use. His wand emitted silver smoke as the figure laughed high and cold.

"I am not a thing of the darkness, but that which you fear above all else. I am that which you can never defeat." The figure threw back his hood to show a sickly white skull that laughed high and cruel. "I am Death, destroyer of all things." Raising his hand there was a flash of light as the Weasley's tumbled into the darkness.

Falling through the darkness they both jumped out of their bed with their wands raised to face the unseen and the dark around them. The moon was still high in the sky above the Burrow, but neither felt like going back to sleep. Hearing the thump of the floor nearby they knew that it was going to be a long night in the Weasley household.

"Have it again, Arthur?" Molly asked with little emotion as she stood and straightened the sheets around her husband.

"Yes, I did, I guess I can assume that you did too. Sounds like our children are up as well. Why is this happening to us?" He stood and pulled on his dressing robe over the long night shirt that he wore.

"Perhaps we made the wrong decision with Harry, maybe we should apologize. I'll go start the tea and get the chocolate out, you round up Ron and Ginny." She sighed and moved down towards the kitchen, but once she was alone she started to cry. "Why is this happening to our family?"

XoXo

Even as the night progressed at the Burrow with trepidation and nightmares, it was a much different scene a few hundred miles, and several hours later, away in London. At the ancient house of the Black family there were several Order members, two ex-Death Eaters, one witch turned cat, and the two most famous light wizards that ever lived (although that last part could be debatable by a few at the Ministry, but we'll not concentrate on that right now).

Seated in the living room, Harry looked up from the book he was reading to see Lupin and Bella engaged in a chess game, it was the middle of the afternoon just before lunch and he had just gotten Hermione to ask Dumbledore if she could bring Luna to headquarters. He smiled a little as he saw the old rivals and the hatred gone. The conversation under truth serum had gone a long way in forging a friendship, but he still sensed that his surrogate uncle wanted to beat the woman out of spite.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" The old Marauder asked his opponent as she moved one of her knights up the board towards his pieces.

"Just play, fluffy." Bella concentrated on the chess board that she didn't see the smirk pass between the two men in the room at the comment. They had taken up the practice of friendly banter, but both knew that it was just that.

"I told you so." Lupin moved one of his pieces to intercept the knight and put the king in check. "Three moves, fifteen galleons, deal?"

"Fine." Was the curt answer as she moved another piece. Of course it was a forgone conclusion that she would end up paying, but it still looked great and she went out with a bang. The bang of course was a literal bang as she used her wand to blow apart the chess board, the pieces flying apart or cowering behind the broken pieces of the board.

"You really should stop doing that, you know. The pieces aren't ever going to trust you if you blow them up every time you loose." Harry spoke up from the chair setting the book aside as he smiled. Lupin chuckled as he waved his wand to repair the damage done, once again setting it up for a game.

"Oh, and pay up." Taking the galleons from the witch the wizard got up and left the room, leaving his opponent to stew on the couch.

Sitting on the couch Bella stuck her head in her hands as she stared at the floor. Her once famous beauty was starting to come back to her, but her face was still sallow from the time in prison and it got Harry thinking about the prison itself. Moving to sit near her he gave her time to think to herself before he spoke up.

"Bella, if I might be able to ask something a little personal?" She raised her head a little and gave a small nod before turning her eyes to him. "What is it that you experience when you were at Azkaban?"

She shuddered a little from the mention of the prison, and clutched at the calming white tattoo that had replaced her Dark Mark. Leaning back against the cushions she considered the question before slowly answering. "The night that Rodollphus first came to my bed, he was slimy, rough and hurt me after he had finished." She shuddered a little and as if on impulse Harry reached out to touch her hand that was resting on the couch.

"I'm sorry, maybe I shouldn't have asked. I know that it's a little personal and different for everyone."

"What do you see?" Bella peeked out of one eye towards him, still not moving her hand from his.

"I can hear my mother and father screaming at each other." At the look from Bella he laughed a little and shook his head. "No, nothing like that, it's the night they died. I can hear him yelling for her to get me away, her pleading with Voldemort." Bella flinched slightly at the name being mentioned. "I can hear his voice, her dying, and a flash of green light, the same that I used to have nightmares about when I was little."

"It's horrible for someone to grow up without their family. You should know that I left the Longbottoms alone when we arrived at their house. It was my husband, brother in law, and the kid that did most of the damage to them."

"Why were you screaming then at your trial?" Harry bit his lip as he remembered he wasn't supposed to have seen that, but Bella didn't seem to notice or at least didn't care.

"Oh, I was upset at being caught, no doubt and I blamed you for the downfall of the Dark Lord, for sure, but I never harmed them. To be honest…." Her voice trailed off a little as she shed gentle tears, Harry squeezed her hand and she held it tighter in her own. "I…I can't have children, at least not with him. When I saw their baby I was so captured by how small he was, little Neville was so tiny and cute. I spent my time there making sure that he was ok and it was because of that we were caught." She sobbed a little and closed her eyes tightly against the tears.

"Bella, you're a good person both now and then. Your soul has been cleansed from Moldyshorts' influence." She giggled slightly at the name. "You can start picking up the pieces of your life and if you wanted we can talk to the Ministry about getting your name cleared. I hadn't thought about it before, but I suppose we can help to reform others that would want it in the same way that you and your sister were helped."

"Thank you, Harry. You don't know how much this really means to me to be freed from their influence. Cissy and I wanted to ask you something." Gathering up her long unused courage she stared at him in the eyes and held his hand in hers tightly. "She's too much of a scardy cat and I know that we're old enough to be your mother, but would you…"

She was interrupted by Lupin who came barreling around the corner leading into the living room. He was panting slightly as if he had run a long distance and his robes were torn in a few places. Ignoring what he might have walked in on he looked quickly and grabbed Harry by the collar of his robes. Dragging him off the couch and away from Bella, he was able to shout over his shoulder.

"I'll bring him right back." Neither men saw the sadness in the witch's face before they disappeared down towards the kitchens. Already the sounds of a battle were coming from the closed door and as it swung open a stray spell blasted out some of the wood of the door frame.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the affiliated characters except for those that I create myself. _Italics_ mean either a thought or a flashback depending on the context of the scene. If I get enough interest in my story by the final chapter, somewhere around 20, then I'll start crafting a sequel. Thanks so much for everyone reviewing and keep them coming.

Once the four Weasley's were gathered around the kitchen table at the Burrow, each sipping their own mugs of tea and several bars of chocolate later, they were visibly better, but no more emotionally. It had taken some time for each of them to settle down and to relay what they have each been experiencing since the day after the will reading. It was odd to them all that they had started to experience these things all at the same time, but magic sometimes worked like that.

Arthur sat at the head of the table and sipped at his third or fourth mug of tea and slowly sat it down. The sun had risen not too long before and the people in the village were going to start moving around soon. Staring down at the table at his family he opened his mouth to speak, but his daughter beat him to the point.

"It's like we're being punished by some higher power." Ginny complained

"Is it possible that we were cursed at the will reading and this is the result?" Molly whined slightly.

"No, Molly, I'm afraid that I've been over all of us multiple times and we're clean." Arthur was thoughtful at this and drummed his fingers on the tabletop.

"It's all Potter's fault, I know it is somehow." Ron fumed as he stared at the center of the table. "He must have done something to us so that we can't sleep, haunted by these images."

"Oh don't be thick, Ron, he doesn't have this power." Ginny grumbled as she drummed her fingers on the surface of the table. "No, I think there is a more mundane explanation for this. I think that we did something and we're being told that we were wrong."

"Please, we haven't done anything wrong." Ron scoffed at the idea before he got smacked in the head with a biscuit thrown by his sister. "Well, we haven't. We've been trying to protect our family and friends."

"Children, please." Molly groaned a little rubbing at her temples. "In each of our dreams the people say basically the same thing, that if we hadn't turned our backs on our friends then it wouldn't have happened. Ron looses his magic, Ginny is poor and on the street, and we had to watch our family die." Each person around the room shudder a little as they sipped at the tea.

"Don't forget me having to see Potter married to a slut." Ginny crossed her arms over her chest and sighed a little. "He was so kind to me too, even after the letter."

"Well, we can't do anything about it now. Near lunch we'll head over to Headquarters and see if we can find Harry and you two can apologize to him." Arthur pointed hard at his children.

"I'm not apologizing for protecting my family." Ron ducked another flying biscuit from his sister, and glared at her for a minute. "We did the right thing, plus it's not like we'll have any chance at getting his fortune now." He crossed his arms and glared at all the others at the table.

"I will go to Harry's Aunt's house to apologize to him; if he isn't there then we'll head to Headquarters to apologize to the Order, as a family." Molly added the last part of it as her youngest son began to look mutinous.

It was several hours later when Mrs. Weasley returned from her trip looking very put out and starting to fume. It was said that Ottery St. Catchpole was infamous for the wailing hills around the village, but what most of the magical community didn't know was that those hills were nothing compared to a rant from the fiery matron of the Weasley family. Storming into the kitchen she sank into the chair and glared around her.

"He wasn't there, hasn't been for a week now. His aunt so sweetly told me that they hadn't seen the boy since his birthday and was glad to be rid of him." Her voice dripped sarcasm as she wrung out her robes and some liquid splashed onto the floor. "Woman decided I needed a bath of her soup."

This settled the argument for the rest of the family as they got ready to leave just before noon that same day. Using the floo network they were able to land in the kitchen at Grimmauld Place and received possibly the worst welcoming that they had ever expected.

Working over a cauldron in the kitchen was a furry Hermione and Professor Snape, they had been in a conversation about various properties of poisons when the flames in the fireplace flared green before depositing a stumbling Ron Weasley on the floor. Upon seeing her former friend, the girl hissed and bared her fangs before hiding behind the cauldron. The other two inhabitants of the kitchen were also surprised by the entrance of the Weasleys.

Andromeda Tonks, having contacted her husband earlier in the week, and Headmaster Dumbledore were deep in conversation around the kitchen table about what to do with the war effort when the Weasley's showed up. In a great show of patience and self restraint, the young married witch didn't leap at once to strange the entire family, but leaved it to Dumbledore to handle.

"This is indeed a surprise, Molly, Arthur, Ronald, Ginevra. What is it that you so hastily came here for?"

"Albus, we have learned that Harry isn't at his Aunt's house. We thought that the Order should know immediately." Molly dusted off her robes putting on the loving mother act like a professional.

"Oh, that's quite all right, young Harry is perfectly safe where he's at, I can assure you." Albus Dumbledore had been around for a long time and could easily tell when someone was lying; being a Master Legillimens wasn't a bad thing to use either.

"Well then, it would have been good to know that before I had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting his Aunt." She huffed a little and a small giggling could be heard behind the cauldron at the back. It was at this point that Ron noticed Hermione trying to look inconspicuous.

"Bloody Hell, Mione, what happened to you?" He stepped forward to try and talk to her, but she hissed a little and Dumbledore had a hard time to conceal his laugh.

"It was unfortunate that Ms. Granger reverted to when she had attempted a polyjuice potion. I believe, Ronald, that you encountered the original event." Dumbledore smiled as Molly glared at her son, whom was only saved by the kitchen door opening and Lupin coming in. "Ah, Remus, I was just telling Molly here that Harry is just fine even if he's not with his family."

"Yes, Molly, Harry has been staying here for a day or so and is perfectly safe." If the Weasley's could lie outright then so can anyone else. "Albus, would you like me to go get him?"

Unfortunately for Mooney, he didn't get a chance to get an answer as a cutting hex sliced through the top part of his robes. Dodging out of the way he looked up to find a wand pointed at him being held by a furious Mrs. Weasley. Quickly the other three redheads pulled their wands as well and started sending hexes all over the room. No one was really sure what set off the sudden barrage of spells, but they didn't stop to ask as they dove for cover.

Lupin made it out the door of the kitchen with a yellow beam slicing after him. Snape and Hermione ducked behind the large cauldron and upending one of the smaller tables for some more cover as they sent curses back towards the quartet at the fireplace. Andy and Dumbledore had both taken refuge under the large kitchen table as the Weasley's flung as many curses as they could think in all directions.

The door to the kitchen peeked open and a red stunner blew apart a little of the door frame as Lupin appeared with Harry in tow. Ducking down with Andy and Dumbledore, whom was smiling despite the carnage, Harry peeked around before groaning under his breath. He made the decision quickly and closed his eyes. Concentrating for a moment he put up a hand and waved it to get their attention.

"If you would stop destroying the kitchen, I could come out and surrender if that's what you like?" This caused a momentary lapse from the flying curses, but the four wands were still trained on the hand.

"Come out, Potter, and explain yourself." Ron shouted even though there were only a few feet separating them. Harry slowly stood up hoping that his plan was going to work.

"Ron, Ginny, I think that you are the one's that should explain yourselves. I mean, I could understand from your parents given I turned down the dowry, but you two have no real reason to see me again, not to mention trying to destroy this house." The two children turned their heads towards their parents whom blushed deeply, but didn't take their eyes from Harry.

"It was necessary, Harry dear, having a connection to a lovely pure blood family would help you in the war and plus, you've always loved her, you just don't know it yet." Molly simpered, trying to reason with everyone in the kitchen.

"Mum! You went behind my back and offered me to him, what did it cost?" Ginny seemed furious as she put her hands on her hips, her wand forgotten.

"It's ok, Ginny, I turned it down and returned the money. Consequently, the Black family owed your ancestors several thousand galleons so your vault just increased in size regardless of the dowry." Harry spoke slowly so as to convey the sincerity in his words.

"You turned down my sister? What, she's not good enough for you?" Ron's wand waver a little as it moved to his chest, but he didn't say anything just yet.

"Oh come on, you can't have it both ways, either you're over protective of her or you're happy that she's got someone in her life." Hermione perked up after giving a little more courage and standing up herself from behind the cauldron.

"And what are you doing with these two traitors? I thought you were better than that." Ron moved his wand to indicate Snape and Harry together. The two men looked at each other and then looked at Ron a little offended to be lumped together.

"What do you mean to lump me together with him?" Both of them said at the same time, getting a laugh from Andy and Dumbledore as the later slowly stood up as well.

"Come now, Molly, Arthur, put the wands down and we'll discuss Harry's situation like civilized adults." Dumbledore stood up brushing off his robes as he looked at the four that still had wands trained on the room.

"You've been seeing him behind my back, haven't you?" Ginny stepped forward with her wand trained on Hermione.

"First of all, you have no control over who I do or do not see, and second of all she came to me to apologize and get help for her condition." Harry ticked off the explanations on his fingers. Hermione looked at him in admiration and smiled as she remembered that he hadn't confirmed or denied that they were together.

"Well, I do care, because she's supposed to be mine, Potter." Ron rushed forward and held out his wand. "**Reducto**" He called, but as he did Harry waved his hand in the air and Ron saw the spell fizzle out at the end of his wand. Holding it a little higher he concentrated on it. "**REDUCTO**." He screamed, but the wand fizzled and he started to break down. "No, no, just like the nightmare. It's come true." Ron collapsed on the ground sucking on his thumb like a baby as he rocked back and forth.

"What have you done to my brother!?" Ginny screamed, but her wand too fizzled as she tried to curse everyone in the room. "No, please don't leave me, Harry." Falling to her knees she put her head in her hands and shook it back and forth muttering about being a squib and poor on the streets.

"Maybe they over did it just a little." Harry surveyed the scene and then looked at the others in the room. "What? I didn't do anything."

"Be that as it may, perhaps you two can explain what is going on here?" Dumbledore turned to face the elder Weasleys to see them shaking and putting their wands on the table. As they gathered up their children they sat down on the opposite side from the others in the kitchen.

"We've been manipulating everything from the beginning. He met Ron and Ginny on the platform and I was sure that I saw sparks there; from then on I wanted nothing more than to get my hands on the Potter fortune and have Ginny marry him. Since the devastation of the will reading we've all been having nightmares each pertaining to our worst fears. Ginny looses her magic and becomes poor on the street with nothing to call her own, while Ron looses his magic, has his memories erased of the magical world and sent to live as a muggle."

"Don't forget about the humiliation." Arthur spoke slowly. "Ron was also experiencing humiliating moments like Harry winning the World Cup while he was left naked on the pitch in the middle of the game." Snape sneered a little at this. "We were sure that if we found Harry maybe these would stop."

"Just because this happened around the same time doesn't mean that Harry is responsible, I mean, he doesn't have that much power. Do you?" Hermione looked down the table at her friend. For his part Harry looked up and shook his head.

"Nope, but I do have theories as to why you're having these. It would be my guess that you're feeling guilty about everything that has happened. The irony of it all is that I would have willingly given you the money if you had asked in the first place. I never wanted the fortune and I wanted to help you out, but because you went behind my back and tried to force me into a marriage with Ginny I had to decline it." Harry was showing exceptional maturity for someone his age and in his position that many of the adults had to admire him for it.

It was unfortunate that the squeaking of the kitchen door interrupted this perfect moment of insight for the four Weasley's. It was also unfortunate that the person on the other side of that slowly opening door was a former Death Eater that had at one point tried to kill both Ginny and Ron.

"Remus, you said you were bringing him right back." Bella stopped in her tracks as she now had four wands pointed at her. Ginny and Ron forgot for a moment that their wands hadn't worked, but at that point they didn't really care.

"What is she doing here, Albus?" Molly's voice dripped in venom, but still Bella didn't move to get her wand, holding up her hands defensively.

"She is here under the protection of the Black family, not to mention she is reformed. You saw what transpired with Narcissa at the will reading. It also transpired that Bellatrix was under the same curse." Dumbledore spoke slowly as if talking to a disobedient child. For her part, Bella removed the left sleeve of her robe to show the white tattoo that had replaced the black one.

"So she covered the Dark Mark, big deal? I think that she's got you all tricked into believing her, I'm sure that all the Death Eaters are on their way here right now." Ron spoke out of the side of his mouth, still shaking at the thought that he had lost his magic.

"The magic of the Dark Mark cannot be covered over by anything but clothing, and I myself have interrogated her under truth serum to ensure that she was remorseful for her actions." Snape spoke up from his position near the cauldron with Hermione.

"Incarcerous." Molly called, but a thin rope drooped out of her wand and coiled on the floor. Trying it again her wand fizzled a little and then died completely. Dumbledore smiled and sat back, stroking his long white beard.

"It would appear that we are in a field of null magic. I doubt someone could even cast the killing curse at this point." As if to prove his point he raised his wand and did just that with the tip pointed at his own chest. The wand fizzled and flared like a torch before dying completely. "Most interesting, Remus, could it be the house itself causing this?"

"I suppose if there was enough emotion behind it to harm the heir of Black the house could move to counter it; however it wouldn't explain why none of us could use magic. Plus there is the field where the Ministry can't detect the usage of magic here." Remus sat back in the chair and looked over at Harry almost expectantly; no one else seemed to share his look, but Harry got it none the less.

"What? You mean we could have been using magic this whole time? Think of all the homework I've missed out on because I didn't know I could do magic." Hermione whined putting her head down on the table.

"All right, enough fun for one day." Harry stood and put his hands on the table. He heard groans inside of his head, but mentally waved them off.

"Yes, I believe Harry is right. May we use magic again in here, Harry?" Bella smiled a little and got nasty looks from the four Weasley's, but snickers from the rest. Harry nodded and she turned and left them alone disappearing up towards her own rooms.

"Incidentally, if you wish to remain at Headquarters, I would suggest you get over your hatred of the Black sisters." Dumbledore explained slowly. Ron snorted while Ginny crossed her arms over her chest and grumbled. The replies from the Weasley parents were cut off though from a curious sound at the fireplace.

As the people in the kitchen turned towards the fireplace it flashed green for a bit and they thought they could hear a "Wheee!" emanating from the flames. After a few seconds the form of a blonde girl in tattered mismatched robes tumbled out of the fireplace to land upside down at the foot of the table. With her legs in the air she cocked her head to the side to look back towards the fireplace and giggled a little.

"That was fun indeed, may I do it again?" She asked no one in particular, but received several groans from those who knew her eccentric ways.


	12. Chapter 12

It took a few days for the assorted group of people to really get used to one another. After the first dye packet caused Ginny's skin to turn yellow, people started to avoid the showers without having to inspect them constantly for Black traps, as they were now known. These had the effect of loosening up tensions in the house, and making people ban together against the pranks. The new arrivals weren't the only one's being hit with the mirth of the sisters as those that frequented the house were also targets. It would seem that the only one that seemed immune to the pranks was Harry himself. Either they never did any to him or he expertly turned them around on someone else, no one really knew.

During this time Harry had found a worn book in the Black library that detailed a few of the more obscure magical fighting techniques as well as detailing a few muggle techniques as well. It seemed that a long way in the past a member of the family had traveled the Asian continent and collected a myriad of muggle fighting techniques that he incorporated into magical means. The routines would test his magic, mind, and his body until it sculpted it into more of a fighting machine that worked all together.

After consulting with both Remus and Dumbledore about the possibility of training using the book, and them looking it over for any dark influences (finding nothing of course, as it was one of the few books that were really safe), they agreed that it was a good idea. The trio set up one of the unused bedrooms as a sort of dojo for Harry to use and with the possibility of training others. Dumbledore was able to conjure some thick training mats for him to use. With the book spread out along the floor Harry began to know each routine and to slowly work through the meditation.

It was on the third day of the meditation that he had finally got some insight into what had happened to him after the will reading. The meditation was designed to open up the mind to the universe and to feel the magic flowing all around him. He could feel the house pulsing with energy, each of the inhabitants with their own flow of energy as well as his own core overloading with energy to get out. According to the book this was the first step into developing what was known as mage sight, or the ability to see magic both as it's used and the latent energy within a person's core.

By the next week he had a set routine down and didn't need the book anymore to go through the moves. Setting it aside one evening he stood in the middle of the mat in a pair of thin workout pants and a white wife beater that he usually wore during the workout sessions. Kneeling in the center of the mat he concentrated and let the magic flow around him, feeling everything that was going on. He felt that there were a small group of girls moving up the stairs towards the landing of his room. Curious he concentrated on their individual energies, a few were nervous, but mostly excited. There was something else that he noticed about the energies around him, specifically about an object in the room with him.

"We're going to get in so much trouble." A female voice whispered to her companions. It wasn't loud enough that he would normally hear it, but as he concentrated he was able to hear more and feel the energy rolling off the small group.

"Stop being a baby, this was your idea too you know." A second voice joined in the conversation.

"Yeah, but only after Hermione wouldn't let us use her way." The first voice grumbled as they all stepped out onto the landing. He didn't hear any footsteps so he thought they were either barefoot or wearing stockings to muffle the sound of their feet moving.

"That was only because you went after her like crazy, and smooth here prank her one too many times." A third voice joined in, more restrained that the other two, but still showing some base emotions. The three voices were now at the door and seemed to be pressed against it. Harry smiled as he came out of the trance like state and moved into another set of exercises.

He let the women on the landing think that they had gotten away with it as he moved into the next set of exercises and slowly worked up a sweat. He could just feel the fringe of energy coming from the three on the landing change to more of a relaxed color and he knew it was his time to strike. Moving to the edge of the room he picked up a book that he found there. He carried it over to the door where he pressed his ear to it and listened.

"Can you hear anything? I don't think he's moving around."

"Well, if you had listened to Hermione we might have been able to see him a little as well as hearing him move."

"Oh, I wonder what he looks like all covered in sweat." There were three contented sighs and Harry knew it was time to act.

Stepping to one side of the door he wrenched it open and let off a satisfied laugh as three grown women tumbled into the room and got tangled up in each other's robes. Each was wearing a different colored robe and they were barefoot from having to sneak around so much. Raising up the book above the squirming pile of women he tapped it twice and felt a sense of pride as a third body was added to the fray. A sputtering Hermione fell through the book dressed in her pajama pants and a tank top that showed off her figure. As she landed on the top of the pile she was quickly absorbed into the mess of cursing and flailing limbs.

"Oh, are you starting a new game and didn't invite me?" A dreamy voice came from the hallway. Sticking his head out, Harry saw Luna standing there in a nightshirt that came down to her thighs and a pair of white panties. Trying to control himself Harry simply nodded.

Luna launched herself into the air and landed on the squirming pile of bodies, getting herself thoroughly mixed into the other girls. She seemed to hang close to Hermione though, touching the girl's tail, breasts and fur and then apologizing for it while not really trying to pull herself out of the pile. It was several minutes before one of the girls on the bottom gave a great heave and pushed everyone away from her, scrambling out and moving to stand near Harry.

"You all should be ashamed of yourselves spying on Harry like that." Tonks waved a finger at her aunts, Hermione, and Luna as they still tried to pull themselves free. She tried hard not to blush when Harry laughed and stared at her. She was wearing a blue robe that came down around her ankles showing off her feet, but now it was pushed up around her thighs showing how tone she really was being an Auror.

"I seem to remember, Nymphadora that it was your idea in the first place." Cissy growled as she was able to stand up. Ever the proper one she was dressed in a full length dressing robe of deep green. She stressed her niece's formal name and received a scowl for it.

"If you all were that interested in my training, I would be glad to teach you what I've been doing." Harry smiled as that had the desired effect of pulling all five of the girl's attention away from each other. They quickly untangled themselves and stood in front of Harry in a line with pouting faces. Luna pouted mainly because the others were, but she still held that dreamy expression of hers.

"Please, Harry? We would love to spend more time…I mean learn how to fight the muggle way." Bella received an elbow from both her sister and niece at the same time for the slight slip. She was dressed in a thigh length black dressing robe that showed off her nice toned legs. Apparently running away from Aurors had its advantages.

"All right, but you five have to take this seriously."

"Yay, it's just like the DA from last year; although Harry could use fewer clothes during the meetings for the DA." Luna cried triumphantly and then disappeared back down the hallway towards her room. The other four shrugged their shoulders and disappeared as well.

XoXo

The long black hair whipped around and wrapped along the slender pale shoulder. The large rat's nest was gone and smoothly flowing hair replaced it that reached down to the back of the elegant woman. Dressed in a black dress that flared out along the black leather boots, and a bodice that added to her ample cleavage, she was a vision of old aristocratic beauty. Bellatrix Black stood on the third floor balcony of the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix staring up at the moon and the stars that twinkled above her.

The stars, the forgiving stars that would always shine light down on the Earth no matter what happened down here; it was on nights like these that she reflected back to old religions and their meddlesome deities. Staring up at the light of the moon she didn't hear the footsteps behind her, or feel the sag of the railing of someone else joining her, but she did her the soft feminine sigh.

"You should realize by now that you're not really alone." The dreamy voice said softly from beside her. Turning her black eyes she beheld the young blonde staring not at the stars, but down at the ground below them and the garden that was dark.

"Of course I'm alone. I'm a wanted fugitive said to be the craziest person in all of wizarding Britain."

"No one really thinks your crazy, just all the years in Azkaban prison." Here Bella flinched at the memories of the place that she had spent so many years. "Or perhaps it's just the nargles getting into your hair once again."

A pale hand came up from the blue robes of the blonde to bat at invisible creatures on Bella's shoulders. The older woman tried to see what she was swishing away, but didn't notice anything. Giving up on a futile attempt to convince Luna that there was nothing there, she had heard of the arguments between her and Hermione, Bella simply stared back into the soft blue eyes.

"Plus, it's not just being alone physically, but emotionally. You think that there's no one else to share grief with, or to share love with when you know there is." Luna smiled dreamily into the older woman's face and shrugged a little. "You and your sister may be as old as the Headmaster, but it doesn't mean he won't love you the same as the rest of us."

The rest of the statement seemed to be drowned out as she heard the crack about her age. Spinning around she put her hands on her hips and stared down the blonde. "Look here, I'm not that old, he's got to be at least three hundred." She grumbled, but didn't say anything more, simply staring down into the garden like Luna was.

"I made a mistake once about someone that I care deeply about, and I don't intend for that to happen again." Luna smiled, hugged Bella and then skipped back into the house and down towards her own room.

Bella thought over this information, maybe the strange girl was right about everything. Was she really lonely emotionally and simply isolating herself from the others because of this? Or was it more the fact that she was isolating herself because of her past? Slumping her shoulders she heard the footsteps of someone else coming up the stairs.

Ginny Weasley was furious, and not necessarily in a good way either. In the past she had always gotten her way, the boy that she wanted, the clothes that she deserved. She had to go around a few of those silly rules, like stealing and such, but she always got what she wanted. Now the one thing that she truly wanted was to spend time with her Harry and that was impossible with those floozies around.

_Why does he spend so much time around those girls and not even look at me?_ She thought as she climbed the stairs towards the third floor. _I'm so much better looking than Granger or Looney and those women are so old. I only stay here so that Harry will realize that I'm better than them._

Turning the corner up onto the third floor balcony she didn't see anyone, but shrugged and went to lean on the railing grumbling to her still. Propping up her head on her elbow she let the wind pick up her robe and flutter it around the sundress that she was wearing underneath. It was low-cut and shortened to around her thighs to show off her nice legs that made the other boys at school swoon and want to do anything for her. Her mother had insisted that she wear it today and try to get Harry alone, but nothing had worked. Sulking she didn't notice the other figure on the balcony slip back out through the open door and disappearing, but not before hearing the fiery red head screaming into the night.

"WHY DOES HE LOOK AT THOSE WHORES AND NOT ME?"


	13. Chapter 13

The weather around Grimmauld place was starting to change from the sunny warm disposition of early August into the slight chill of late August and early September. The three students that were returning to Hogwarts that coming term had already received their letters and prepared for a trip to Diagon Alley to collect gold from their vaults and to buy their new books as well as a few supplies needed for the coming term. It was during this time that a few problems had cropped up, one being the fact that Madam Hooch kept dropping by and would periodically throw her at Harry proclaiming that she was his slave. This seemed to only amuse everyone else except for Hermione.

The second problem had come from the fact that Bellatrix and Narcissa both wanted to go with the group to the Alley to pick up some new robes as well as get out of the house. They had already been in the house a number of days and were starting to go stir crazy; Harry seemed to sympathize with them even if the others didn't really seem to care. It was Dumbledore that had come up with the initial idea that the girls could go under polyjuice as someone else, but the problem was acquiring the hairs as well as brewing the potion. The potion would normally take a month to brew and two of the current occupants, Ron having left with his mother early on, knew exactly how complicated brewing the potion really was. Again, the answer came from Dumbledore, whom had a small stash of polyjuice already created in the likely event that something would happen or they would need it. All they would need was a few minutes to change into their perspective identities. Again, the problem of the hairs was brought up, but these were surprisingly easy to come by in muggle London.

It was thought that using muggle hairs and turning the girls into two average looking muggle teenagers wouldn't cause much of a stir. Muggles wouldn't be seen in Diagon Alley anyway, and most wizarding families wouldn't know who these muggles were so it wouldn't really matter. On the day of the trip everyone had gathered in the living room for the girls' to transform. Screens had been set up along the far wall so that when they changed into their younger selves, and would need to change robes they would have some privacy. A second dose of polyjuice potion was created just in case the trip lasted longer than an hour.

The plans were for the group to aparate to the Leaky Cauldron and then enter the Alley from there. The transformation went off without a hitch making the girls look different to everyone present. Narcissa looked much like a younger version of herself with golden blonde hair cascading down her shoulders, silvery eyes and a soft pale complexion. She admired herself in the mirror and commented that she looked just like she did when she was a teenager.

It was Bella that was harder to get out from behind the screen than her sister. She wasn't particularly fond of her look and it took Cissy and Hermione, surprisingly enough, to drag her out from behind the screen. Her face had filled out slightly but the fabulous bone structure was still there, she was still beautiful and people would still be looking at her whenever they went. The problem that she had found was the fact that her beautiful black hair had turned to a shiny coppery color that was reminiscent of the Weasleys. She wasn't particularly fond of this color mainly because she had overheard what Ginny had said recently; she had never shared what she had heard, so there wasn't cause for anyone else to be concerned. Harry reassured her that she still looked beautiful, causing her to blush, making the similarity between the two families more obvious.

XoXo

As they aparated into an alley near the wizarding pub, the girls were chatting happily with one another; Hermione, Narcissa, Luna, and Bellatrix. They were concocting a story for the two girls that had suddenly become teenagers again; they had so far come up with the names Claire for Cissy and Rachel for Bella. They thought it would be appropriate to craft a story as to why the group was together, most of them thought that Rachel, or Bella, and wouldn't be noticed because Harry could always be seen with a redhead or two on his previous trips.

Hermione as it turned out had used a third dose of the potion to turn back into herself. Professor Dumbledore had suggested, with Professor Snape's recommendation, that this should be the norm for the rest of the school year; or at least until a more permanent solution could be created to turn the girl back into who she used to be. As she was walking into the Leaky Caludron, speaking happily with the other girls, the men had hung back slightly.

Around Harry were a number of people from the Order including Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Madam Hooch and Minerva McGonagall. Remus and Tonks were speaking happily about the date that Remus had had recently with Hestia Jones; a fellow Auror that Tonks had worked with and recently had recommended to be promoted based on her outstanding work. Madam Hooch was fawning over Harry lightly, and received a scowl from McGonagall, but went unnoticed by Harry whom had gone to watching the girls in front of him.

It had come to his attention recently that he had started to look at the girls differently. During their workouts the girls had insisted on wearing as little clothing as possible, giving the reason that they needed to move freely. Harry didn't object at first, finding the reasoning very sound, however when they started to get more and more undressed, he decided to put a stop to it. The girls of course had simply giggled and forced him to blush even more. Now as they were walking into Diagon Alley he was thinking back to some of the other stray thoughts over the last few weeks with the girls around him. He had hated two of the group from the outset at the beginning of the summer, but now it seemed that they had melded with the rest into a more cohesive unit.

Luna he knew was Luna, she was strange, eccentric, but overall a very nice person. She had only gone along with the Weasley's plan to try to keep friends around her, but as soon as she had been turned against she had given all the dirt on the two siblings. Apparently the two siblings had created the letter at first and then simply proposed the idea, making it seem like it wasn't their idea in the first place. It was also revealed that there might have been a little bit too much between Ron and his sister as they had been found together sleeping on numerous occasions. While neither said that anything had transpired, especially under the watchful eye of their mother, the other teenagers always noticed that Ginny looked flushed around her brother, especially around her brother. Harry brushed it off as them being siblings, there was nothing going on and he really didn't want to think about it if there was.

So as they walked into Diagon Alley, all thoughts of previous hatreds and rivalries were all forgotten. The first stop was to Gringots to get some gold out of their prospective vaults. Narcissa and Bella, or Claire and Rachel, decided to get some gold out of the Black vaults with Harry. He reasoned with them that they rightfully had a claim to the money now that they were part of the Black family again. He felt it was his responsibility to take care of them as the head of their house, and gave them gold to take care of any purchases that they wanted to make like robes.

Of course they wouldn't be able to buy robes in their current condition because Madam Malkin would take their measurements and the measurements would be different than their much older counterparts. The girls still wanted to keep up the appearances as teenagers so they still got two or three robes along with the others. Being girls they still fawned over fabric and stitches before they were able to really make up their minds about what they wanted. All the girls spent an inordinate amount of time going over the robes. Hermione had grown a few inches since the previous year and had filled out, especially in the chest area, over the last few years. Luna wanted to look at the fabric, poking and prodding at the various dragonhides; she would comment on each hide's ability to resist spells, physical attacks and nargles.

Next stop was to Flourish and Blotts for the teenagers to buy their schoolbooks and the elder of the group to look at stocking up on anything new that had come out recently. They spent more time here than in the robe shop as Hermione had to go through each and every aisle and almost every single one of the books there; even on occasion picking up two versions of the same book deciding on which one was better. Here was where the other teens had to nearly drag her away from buying both versions of the same book just to be sure that she had cross-referenced everything from both versions.

Harry ended up sticking close to Rachel and Claire as they made their way back up the Alley and towards the Leaky Caludron entrance. There was only the apothecary and owl emporium to go on the end of the alley. There was a cry from behind them causing Harry to spin around with his arm outstretched holding his wand; the girls at his side doing the same. It turned out that it wasn't an attack but a small teenager girl coming towards them.

The girl had curly brunette hair flowing down around her ears and towards her shoulders. She wore simple muggle clothes as a t-shirt and jeans displaying a few worn patches and frays along the knees. As she reached up to the small group she stared at Rachel and whimpered slightly.

"I didn't know that you were a witch. All this time we could have been talking hours about magic and everything. Are you going to Hogwarts as well?" Rachel seemed a little nonplussed about the girl, but at her words she seemed very confused.

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh come off it, Sarah, you know exactly who I am. I can't believe that you never told me that you're a witch. We could have spent so much time learning together. Please tell me that you're going to Hogwarts as well."

Harry looked confused, but it was Claire that almost burst out laughing. She clutched her sides and clamped a hand over her mouth, but the snort was still heard by her sister standing next to her. Harry finally got the joke and started laughing a little. Rachel turned to the girl bouncing up and down and spoke slowly and gently.

"I think that you have me confused with someone else. I just moved here not to long ago." Improvising on the fly, Rachel continued. "My family had been living up in Scotland for a number of years, and yes I will be attending Hogwarts coming this term, but my name is Rachel." The girl seemed crestfallen that it wasn't her friend, and finally realized that she was talking to a stranger causing her to blush a lot.

Harry stepped in front of the other two girls to introduce the girls as he had seen her problem. Waving a hand to the girls on either side he smiled gently introducing Claire and Rachel. The other girl stuck out her own hand and shook all three, holding Harry's for a moment before releasing it.

"I'm Shay, Shay Valentine. I just moved here as well, I used to go to a school in America. I've heard that Hogwarts is the best school around and since I moved here at the beginning of the summer I'll be starting next term."

Harry took up the conversation as the other two girls hurried forward to tell the others what had happened. Mostly to relay the funny story. As the girls moved into the Leaky Cauldron Shay spoke up to try and get the conversation rolling once again.

"Do you go to Hogwarts already?"

"Yes" Harry smiled gently "I'll be starting my sixth year there."

"Tell me what it's like. How are the students divided up? In my old school we had this outdated caste system, but I can't see that happening here."

Harry stared at the girl for a moment before he realized she was talking about houses, as near as he could tell. "Well" He started again. "At Hogwarts there are four distinct houses based on different attributes and skills. They kind of function like your family while you're at the school." He tried not to drop into the normal speech that McGonagall gave to the first years, but it was hard not to. "The four houses represent the founders that built the school over a thousand years ago and each student is sorted into these based on how they feel you best fit each attributes."

"Oh I do hope that I'll be a house with some nice people. I like to make friends, but it's so difficult to make friends when my family moves around all the time."

"Why do you keep moving around?" Harry said slowly.

"My father works for the International Confederation of Wizards, we move wherever we're told and whenever we have to. He's not really an ambassador of sorts, but he does work with the Ministers or Secretaries of the various magical governments around the world."

"That sounds like an interesting job. How did he get a hold of that?"

"Oh, he was appointed or some such rot, I really don't remember anymore as it's been years and he had the job before I was born." She waved her hands around to emphasize that she really didn't care about it before she switch the subject back to Hogwarts. "So what was it you were saying about the houses?"

"Oh, right, well the four houses are Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Slytherin and Gryffindor."

"Which one are you in?"

"Well, I'm in Gryffindor actually, as are most of my friends. Claire and Rachel are new here so we're not sure what house they'll be in."

"Is there much competition between the houses?" Here Harry laughed a little as he remembered how he and Draco had fought against each other at every turn since the first day; really before they even got to Hogwarts on the train.

"Yeah, there is some hostility between some of the houses, but for the most part all four of them get along. Each house has their own dormitory, mascot and head of house that is a faculty member, but I'm sure that you had these things as well back in America." As they reached the Leaky Caludron, he noticed that a few people had gathered near the back. At one table was his own group clustered around chatting happily with one another, around a second table was a small family.

Shay looked up quickly, caught the eye of the older man at the table and waved merrily. "Oh, there's my family now, would you like to come meet them, Harry?" He groaned a little, but couldn't refuse because she was being nice to him and he wanted her to feel welcome.

As they made their way over towards the table he casually waved to the other group to signal that it was all right and he was going to talk to the family for a moment. A few of the girls cautiously pulled the others back into conversation to show that they had not been watching them or trying to eavesdrop on the conversation at the next table. As Harry came up to the small table he noticed that the man wore long black wizard robes with a crest of some unknown organization on his left breast and a black pointed hat on his head.

He didn't look out of place in the Leaky Cauldron, but it was the woman sitting next to him and the younger girl at the table that seemed a little uncomfortable in the wizarding pub. The older woman was dressed comfortably in a long sleeved shirt and jeans topped by a wind breaker wrapped around her shoulders. The air was getting rather chilly inside and outside, so it wasn't this that set them apart. It was the piercings in her nose and her ears that set her apart from many of the other patrons around her.

The little girl sitting at the table bouncing happily in her seat didn't seem older than ten or eleven, waving her hands at what Harry figured was her older sister, exclaiming. "Shay, Shay, there you are. We were starting to get worried, there's just so much to look at here." Her hair was a slight tawny color and moved with her the small curls bouncing against the back of her neck.

"Mom, Dad I would like you to meet Harry. I met him in the Alley with two of his friends." Shay introduced the flustered teenager to those around the table. "He goes to Hogwarts already and he's been telling me all about the school."

The older woman looked up through a small curtain of blonde hair. The color wasn't Narcissa's hair, but a slight dirty tinge to it that shone in the light of the pub. Leaning forward she spoke softly, but still held a hard tone to her voice.

"You know that you shouldn't have run off on your own, who knows what would have happened?"

"Oh don't worry." The older man spoke up. "Diagon Alley is one of the safest places to be, but…er…" The man faltered slightly remembering the amount of Death eater attacks around the alley, not to mention the amount of people disappearing. "Well, at least nothing happened, but the way, who are you?" He turned to Harry and stared at him.

Harry smiled reassuringly and stuck out his hand towards the man. "Harry, Harry Potter." As usual the man gasped and clutched Harry's hand before staring up at the scar on his forehead.

"Are you really? I never imagined that I would be meeting you. What an honor it is to meet you." The three women at the table stared at the older man shaking the teenager's hand, while Harry just smiled gently and tried not to notice what the man was saying.

"I didn't know that you were famous." Shay exclaimed putting her hands on her hips very adult like and showing that she had an attitude, a small one at least.

"Oh, well…err…that is to say…" Harry stumbled and was saved by the man whom stood up, threw his arms around his shoulder and guided the boy down into the chair that he had vacated.

"Please, please my boy, do sit. Let me introduce you to the rest of the family. You've already met my eldest, Shay, my wife Nicole. This is my youngest, whom will be attending Hogwarts this coming year as well, Morgan."

"It's a pleasure to meet you all." Harry stammered, causing Morgan and Shay to move a little closer to him.

"What exactly are you famous for?" Morgan bounced up and down in her seat even more. She had met plenty of important people in her life, but she had never met someone famous at such a young age.

"Well, that's a little complicated. You see…" The man saved Harry a little at this point.

"He survived something that no one thought was ever possible to do or survive. Did that make any sense?" Nicole rolled her eyes at her husband, but said nothing while the two girls giggled at their father. Harry smiled and nodded slowly, thinking that he was off the hook.

"Yes, well, you see..there was this dark wizard, and uhm."

"Oh for crying out loud!" Rachel had jumped out of her seat and come around to their table putting her hands on her hips and staring down the other three women. "Surely you've heard of him, I mean, he's the only one to survive the killing curse."

The three women stared at the girl, first because she had been eavesdropping on their conversation, second because she knew exactly what they were talking about and finally because she had answered their questions. Three pairs of eyes turned to Harry, whom had stared at the wood of the table and rubbed the back of his neck. The man standing next to him pats him gently on the shoulder and smiled.

"By the way, my name is Marvin, a pleasure to meet you again, Mr. Potter."

"Please, call me Harry, and this is my friend Rachel." He indicated the girl still standing before all of them. Rachel laughed and smiled gently.

"I've already met Shay and I'm sorry for butting into your conversation, it's just that whenever Harry get attention like this, he really doesn't like this. You've seen what happens when he gets these kind of questions." Rachel smiled gently causing the other three women to do as well, gently nodding in understanding. Nicole stared at her husband acidly for bringing up the entire issue of him being famous in the first place.

"Well, if you're going to be attending Hogwarts then I guess we'll be seeing you both on the train in a week or so." Harry said slowly, changing the conversation back to what it originally was.

"Oh yes, it will ever be so much fun. I think that we'll be fast friends." Morgan jumped out of her seat, wrapping her arms around Harry's neck and kissing him gently on the cheek. This had the curious effect of causing Rachel to snap. She was two minds about the situation; she blushed and looked furious at the same time. For once she wasn't really sure about anything, but laughed gently with the others at the fact that Harry was blushing as well.

"Well, err….why not? We'll meet you on the platform and we can all share a compartment as we go to the school. There I can explain all about the houses and any other questions that you might have." Morgan smiled gently and jumped back into her seat looking slightly embarrassed, only less so than her mother as she stared at her. Harry got the feeling that Nicole was a lot like the older Narcissa used to be, very aristocratic and very hard pressed about the rules of society; however she said nothing so Harry thought it was nothing to worry about.

"Yes, yes, of course, Hogwarts is a wonderful school; much better than that silly Institute of Magic that you girls used to go to back in the States. Hogwarts is wonderful, you'll absolutely love it." Harry slid out of the seat and bowed politely to the others in excuse as he moved away from them. The rest of their group had already gathered at the exit to the Leaky Cauldron in preparation to aparate back to Grimmauld Place.

"Well, that was certainly interesting, and entertaining." Hermione smiled trying to keep her laughter to a bare minimum as they exited the pub.

"Yes, the great Harry Potter, attracting attention and saving little girls all over the place." Claire laughed and so did Rachel after a few moments. Luna dreamily looked up at Harry and then at the rest of the group before responding.

"He does have that Prince Charming feel to him, doesn't he?" The others found this particularly funny as they laughed and caused Harry to blush even more. He vowed to get things under control before too long as the group moved out of the pub and back towards Headquarters.


	14. Chapter 14

The night there was an Order meeting in the main kitchen of the house and so the teenagers were banished to the upper floors to find things to do by themselves. Most of the girls, along with the two elder women, had convened in one of the bedrooms and locked it tight against any intrusion as they sat down to talk. Harry didn't pay much attention to this at first and moved down to the main library and curled up into a leather arm chair with a book on wizarding law and heritages of various families.

He had only gotten part of the way through the second chapter when he felt that eyes were upon him once again. Looking up from the book he found both Narciss and Bella, back in their adult forms, standing in the doorway wearing flannel pajama pants and a tank top. Both appeared to want to say something, but didn't seem to get up the courage or the right words to say anything.

"I think I should take a photo, two grown witches whom grew up in pureblood society and Slytherins to boot, both completely speechless." Harry smiled as he put the book on the nearby nightstand. His words seem to snap the two women out of their trance as they shifted positions to put their hands on their hips mirroring each other.

"Now see here, you little ingrate…" Bella started, but shrieked and grabbed the forearm of her left arm. She stared first at her sister and then at Harry, her face pale slightly.

"What's wrong, sister? Is it him again?" Cissy gripped her sister and led her over towards a couch that they both sat down on. Harry even leaned over and took her hand, eliciting a slight blush from the older woman.

"No, no, it's not him, it was different. I…" She stared up into the eyes of Harry and got lost for a second. "You did this." She breathed in a whisper.

"Maybe you should explain what happened first." Harry smiled gently.

"I was thinking of cursing you when I felt a jolt flow up my arm and into my body."

"I hate to bring this up, but the old Bellatrix would have been thrilled at the prospect of pain, my dear." Her sister retorted and then winced at the memories of their lives before meeting Harry Potter.

"No, it wasn't that." Bella sat back and gripped her arm a little, shaking her head. "We came here for a purpose, Cissy, let's get it over with."

"Of course, I forgot." Still holding her sister's hand she turned towards Harry, noticing that he moved closer to gently take one of their hands in each of his. She tried not to think of his soft touch as she stared at her hands, shaking herself visibly to bring herself back to the present. "Harry, we have been talking about this whole life debt thing. We also think that it might be a good idea politically."

"I'm not sure what you're talking about, but if it's about politics I'll willingly listen." Harry shifted his eyes from one woman to the other, not noticing a slight pain that passed from their eyes.

"You see Harry, we were wondering if you would…" Cissy leaned forward to whisper, but was caught off guard and slipped off the couch and into Harry's arms. As she tumbled to the ground the house shook and a shrieking sound could be heard throughout the halls.

Harry moved quickly, righting the blonde woman and setting her down on the couch before rushing out the door. Narcissa started to curse slightly and then gasped as she grabbed her left arm. Getting a knowing look from her sister she stared after the retreating form of Harry Potter with a new found respect for him.

Harry belted down the stairs stopping at the top of the stairs as the Order members were surrounding a small group of people on the floor of the entryway with their wands drawn. Dumbledore seemed to be speaking to an older woman clutching a handkerchief to her eyes and was visibly crying. She was dark skinned with flowing black hair that was in a mess on the top of her head. She wore a simple dressing robe and appeared to be nearly naked underneath. She cried hysterically and fell into Dumbledore's arms as Harry came down the stairs finally.

The small group of Order members that had thought Harry was missing turned their wands on him now, but lowered them at a nod from the others. Molly Weasley appeared to want to approach him, but was cut off by several bodies within the confined space. As Harry looked around he looked down at the floor and saw three teenage girls huddled together and staring at the older woman. When they saw him, the girls launched themselves at the teenage boy and latch onto him.

Harry was vaguely aware of three bodies striking his and could only barely hold his balance as he noticed that his shirt was becoming wet. Looking down at the girls he saw that they were each crying into his chest, and without any thought he gently reached out and patted their backs in turn. Two of the girls were identical twins, looking much like the older woman in skin tone and hair, each braided elegantly down their backs. The third had a mass of dirty blonde hair that appeared to have been curled recently and set up on the top of her head much like a tiara.

Dumbledore looked up from his spot on the floor with the woman and smiled a little at Harry as he started to gently sooth the girls by stroking their hair. This of course was noticed by a small grouping of teenagers at the top of the stairs, and they were not at all pleased with what they saw. The girls had exited their room and rushed to the head of the stairs at the first sign of alarm, their wands in their hands. Seeing Harry covered by three very good looking women sent then seething.

Moving past the small group, Tonks, whom had been with the Order members that first found the four women, moved up the stairs towards the angry mob of women. She was able to explain to Hermione, Luna, Bella (as Rachel again), and Cissy (as Claire) that the girls were in protective custody now and it was nothing to worry about.

Harry looked to the top of the stairs to see the sympathetic and pained looks from the girls, mostly from knowing that something awful had happened to the girls and being guilty for thinking that they were stealing Harry. Most of them also felt a little embarrassed at being jealous of the three girls. Harry smiled reassuringly and then ushered the three sobbing witches towards the stairs so as they could be comforted by the others.

Dumbledore stood up and lead the sobbing woman over towards Harry once the other teens had retreated up the stairs to comfort the new arrivals. "Harry, this is Lakshimi Patil, I believe you know her two daughters as well as their friend Lavender. Their house was attacked and they used the emergency port key that we gave them to come here. Unfortunately they were unable to save her husband."

Harry nodded and took the woman by the hand leading her upstairs towards the bedrooms. "Ma'am, I cannot say how sorry I am for your loss, but you are in good hands here, and we will take care of you and your daughters." They had come to a bedroom across the hall from the collective girl's room and already he could hear them talking to the three new arrivals. "The girls will be over there with the others, and if you need anything…"

Before he could finish the older woman had flung herself onto the teenager, crying into his chest as her daughters had done and gently thumping her back with her fist in anger. Harry comforted the woman by gently smoothing her hair and rubbing her back as he guided her into the room. He took special care to sit down on the bed and have her cry it out. Before too long she sleepily slipped from his arms and down onto the bed. He tucked her in, gave a kiss to her forehead and blush a little as he left the bedroom. He didn't want to disturb the girls and went back to the library, thinking about everything that had happened.

XoXo

As soon as Harry had disappeared from the library the two women had taken the second dose of the polyjuice potion that had been created for their trip to the Alley. Once they were in their teenage bodies they joined the others to see what had happened. The chaos that reigned downstairs was broken by constant sobbing and Rachel stared slack jawed at Harry being assaulted by three lovely witches. Her arm spasm again and she looked mutinous for a moment before Tonks had explained the situation.

Once Lavender, Padma, and Parvati were escorted to the girl's room the door was closed and the group sat in a loose circle, letting the three girls cries all they wanted. The others in the house wanted to know what happened, but didn't push their luck too much with the girls that were clearly distraught. It was Padma, the sensible Ravenclaw, which was able to speak first.

"We never thought we would ever have to use those, but I'm glad that we got it." She sniffed lightly between her words.

"What are you talking about?" Hermione leaned forward, careful not to scare the girls with their presence there. She had also downed her potion to appear as herself once more.

"The portkey; Professor Dumbledore came to us a few weeks ago saying that if there was ever an emergency that we could come to somewhere that was safe. He said that it was Harry's idea, but I didn't believe him at first, I figured you were the one to suggest it." Padma wiped at her eyes with the hem of her tank top pointing to Hermione as she finished.

"Me? No, I didn't say anything." She looked to the other girls whom just shrugged and turned back to the others. "It must really have been Harry that did it." The girls all took this in and their respect went up considerably for the boy.

"Well, then…" Parvati moaned and Lavender groaned a little, pulling at her hair. "We just made complete fools of ourselves to the man that saved our lives." Padma dutifully smacked her sister upside the head for her comment as the others snickered lightly.

"We were attacked during our birthday slumber party, no less. Most of the other girls got out all right, but we were the last to leave. I think daddy.." Parvati broke off as she started to cry again, seeking her twin's shoulder. The other girls moved in closer to give their sympathy in forms of hugs and light touches to hair and back in a soothing manner.

The small group of girls stayed in the collective group hug for several minutes and then reluctantly started to move away from each other. Luna stood up to go check on the door, listening at it for a moment before coming back to sit down between Claire and Hermione. All the girls were similarly dressed in pants and a loose fitting top as they sat in the circle.

"I think that we should continue with your party, if you're up to it." Luna said gently. "I think that we could all use a little fun time to be young, don't you think so Rachel?" Luna smirked a little at the woman whom glowered at her for a moment but was nudged in the ribs by Claire next to her.

"Do you three want to talk about it at all?" Hermione interjected, ignoring the byplay of the other girls as she stared at the twins.

"I don't know if right now is the right time, I mean, we just lost our father, we should be in mourning." Padma said slowly, her twin nodding slowly.

"You can honor your father better by living your life and getting to know new friends along the way." Luna said dreamily. "I do so love a game of truth or dare."

The other girls looked a little incredulous at the blonde, but didn't ask any questions of her motives. Lavender shrugged a little and voiced that she was all right to play, but would leave the twins out of it for the time being. As the twins watched the other girls started to play the game and it wasn't long before they joined in as well and the game started to get more personal with each truth and dare. It started out innocently enough with simple questions about the past and about friends, but soon turned to boys at school.

"All right, Lavender, truth or dare?" Claire smiled deviously, not paying attention to the clock nearby.

"Oh, uhm….truth, no dare….truth." The girl chewed on her fingernails a little as she looked from Rachel to Claire.

"Have you ever kissed another girl, and if so, who?" Claire smiled as Lavender paled and shook a little, lowering her head she groaned and answered.

"Yes, it was Parvati." The Indian girl next to her sat straight up and stared at her.

"When was this? I don't remember kissing you."

"It was after the Yule Ball in fourth year, we were both a little tipsy and I kissed you, briefly." Lavender defended as she put her head in her hands in embarrassment while the others smiled and laughed good heartily. "Ok, ok, Rachel, truth or dare?" Came the small voice from between her fingers.

"Oh, uhm….dare." Rachel was always the adventurous one of the group and decided to mix things up a little now.

"All right, I dare you to…" But whatever she was going to dare her to was lost as she stared at Hermione, Claire and Rachel. Rachel's hair was starting to grow out and show streaks of black while her body looked a little fuzzy to the eye like something was changing. The three girls in question didn't realize anything was wrong until they looked at each other.

"Oh my god, we completely forgot." Hermione was the first to her feet rushing to the door with Claire and Rachel right behind her. Wrenching on the door she noticed it was locked. Wheeling around she stared at Luna. "Lovegood, you open this door right now!"

"Sorry, but I feel that the cat is out of the bag, as it were." The dreamy blonde giggled at her own witty humor as the now furry Hermione launched herself at her. Luna dodged the furry missile easily and started to dart around the room laughing her head off.

Claire and Rachel weren't too happy about it themselves as their bodies started to lengthen and their faces changed. Before too long the cat really was out of the bag as Luna was able to retrain the catgirl that was Hermione and Bella and Cissy deject fully rejoined the circle keeping their eyes down from the other girls.

The three girls not in on the secret stared in shock at two known Death Eaters and a girl that looked like she would be sipping milk from a saucer better than tea from a cup. The twins already had their wands out and were pointed directly at the elder women, but no one had made a move to hex or curse anyone. It was fortunate that at that very moment the lock on the bedroom door clicked and in walked a bouncy woman with pink hair and cute button nose.

Tonks was wearing a long flannel shirt that barely came down to her thighs with stockings that reached up to her knees and were striped in a multitude of colors. Her hair alternated between neon green and pink and she was carrying a number of items in her arms. Most noticeable was a bowl of popcorn and a few board games. She stopped short seeing the two wands pointed at the older women.

"Oh, I guess we all forgot about the potion, didn't we?" She smiled and sat down on one of the beds crossing her legs and setting the popcorn and the games on it as she watched the play. "You can put those away, dears, they aren't armed or dangerous anymore."

"They're Death Eaters, they killed my father." Parvati raged, moving closer so that the tip of her wand pointed at the throat of Bella. Padma had moved to do the same to her sister.

"Girls, please, think about it. If they had wanted you dead, indeed all of us, then they wouldn't have been under polyjuice. Come to think of it, Bella, the Patils are a prominent pureblood family, why would Tom attack them?"

Bella tried not to flinch at the name of her former master, even more so as he used to curse anyone that would use that name. "He's getting desperate with the loss of us if he's attacking them. He always left most of the purebloods alone; Harry must have really pissed him off." She tried to smile, but dropped it at the look from the twins in front of them.

Hermione moved between the twins and their intended targets as she spoke slowly. "Padma and Parvati, you both are our friends, and so are these two. Begrudgingly at first, but now they really do care about reforming and wanting to be different now."


	15. Chapter 15

The battleground was desolate, littered with the remains of houses, buildings and timbers here and there. On either side of a large trench stood the two sides of the war, and the armies that would be supporting them. The soil between them was black, scarred and burnt by the many curses thrown in the last several hours; the sky had darkened and a rain was threatening to fall, as if the sadness of the day was leaking out into the heavens and the Earth below.

A single teenage boy stood on one side of the massive trench in the ground facing off with a small army of humans and creatures. Dementors circled overhead, but their effects were muted and felt little by those on the ground. Vampires, werewolves, banshees, and what looked to be a succubus snarled and growled on either side of a large contingent of wizards and witches in black robes.

The large group of black robed men and women were surrounding a single man, standing proud in flowing black robes that were open slightly at the chest to show the pale reptilian skin. Red eyes glowed as he raised the black wood wand to the teenage boy and snarled.

"You have lost, Potter, admit defeat and die like a good boy." The Death Eaters around him laughed and the werewolves moved closer to the trench, ready for the strike, but the boy didn't move away, or even flinch.

Raising his own polished brown wooden wand Harry Potter stared into the red eyes of his enemy. "It's too bad, Tom. You were going to be a wonderful muggle born wizard." The Death Eaters flinched at the name and the insult, but didn't dare do anything without their master's permission.

"Foolish boy, your support is all dead. I personally killed Dumbledore and those miserable friends of yours. Look around you, the battlefield is littered with your fallen friends and comrades, I have won." He started to cast a curse at the boy to end it all, but there was a shimmering light between the two.

The light was not like the priori incantatum that had occurred before, but a pure white light that shone down through the dark clouds that moved above. Redirecting his eyes back to Harry, Lord Voldemort started to see shadows moving behind the boy. The shadows were fuzzy at first, but then started to solidify as they moved to flank the boy.

Harry could feel the rush of power behind him and felt calm and collected as he continued to stare into the eyes of his enemy. He saw out of the corner of his eyes black shapes moving to raise wands of varying lengths and woods to point at the dark side across the trench. He didn't turn around, but felt the rush of power as more and more were added behind him, all pointing their wands at those that would oppose the light.

The Death Eaters and their dark creatures faltered a little as they watched the mass of shadows coallese around the teenage boy into an army, all with raised wands towards their leader and Master. Voldemort of course was completely still, watching the shadows appear around his hated enemy, what he had always wished to accomplish, but now he knew that it was going to end one way or the other. Raising his own wand he felt the pull towards the trench and watched it start to form a bridge of light from one end to the other.

Not knowing what came over him, Harry moved forward across the bridge slowly, his robes billowing in the wind. He moved confidently and calmly across the bridge with his wand raised until he was close enough to Voldemort for him to reach out and touch. He smiled warmly for a moment and then reached forward to grasp the dark lord in a hug.

Harry Potter, lord of the light and one of the most powerful wizards ever, defeater of one dark lord already when he was barely out of diapers, reached out and hugged the killer of his parents and of his friends. The Death Eaters were startled, even more so when the ground around them started to shift and flowers began to pop up around their feet. The dementors shrieked in agony and collapsed among a sea of roses, daisies, and lilies that had now started to grow.

From over the din of shrieking creatures, the sizzle of burning vampire flesh, and the cries of the Death Eaters, a single voice could be heard. "I forgive you, Uncle Voldy." Harry whispered into the ear of the most feared dark lord in centuries.

XoXo

To hear screaming in the dark fortress was not unusual in the middle of the night; even hearing it coming from the personal quarters of their lord and Master. Many of the Death Eaters cringed when they heard the screaming in the night, remembering their own experiences with the fury of their lord and knowing that whoever was being cursed would never do it again. The female Death Eaters, what few there were, cringed as well, but for a slightly different reason than the male ones.

It wasn't well known, nor was it at all commonplace that the dark lord would experience nightmares, but this was a rare night indeed. The dark lord had woken up from a particularly scary nightmare, and that was saying something.

Moving from the black silk sheets of the large bed the reptilian wizard groaned and put a hand to his head. As he slipped the dressing robe over his body he moved to the adjoining suite and stared at the made bed and the clean linens that hadn't been touched in some time. He would never have told her, but having Bellatrix nearby had actually calmed his mind and allowed him to call upon her in needs of a more delicate matter. This thought made him smile slightly, but he still shuddered at the remembrance of the dream that he had woken from.

Sitting down on the edge of the large bed he stared at the black stone of the walls of the fortress. He thought over what had occurred in the dream and then shuddered again. Speaking in low tones he felt the walls reverberate with his words.

"Potter hugged me, he actually hugged me."

XoXo

Harry Potter woke from a most confusing dream. He shook off the memories of what he had done in the last few seconds of it and focused instead on what had occurred with the army of ghosts around him. He didn't want to call them ghosts really, because he could feel the magic swelling around him as he knew that more nad more were being added to the ranks behind him. They felt more like echoes of people, perhaps their magical signatures on him.

Harry sat up in the bed and looked over at the other bed in the room. It was still completely made and no trunk sat at the foot of it. Ron hadn't spent any time in the house since Harry had arrived, and truth be told, Harry liked it that way. It was in times like these that he wished he could turn around and hear the comforting sounds of Ron, Dean, Seamus, or Neville snoring soundly in their beds and know that everything in the world was going to be all right.

He sighed a little and pushed back the covers of the bed; while the dream hadn't been a vision or even a nightmare it still made him think and he didn't feel like he was going to go back to sleep anytime soon. He was already dressed in loose fitting lounge pants and an old t-shirt of Duddley's that he had started to fill out in. As he inspected himself he thought back to the training over the summer and he felt and looked much stronger and healthier than he ever felt before going back to Hogwarts. It was going to be a good year for him, he just knew it.

Standing slowly on the cold wooden floor he moved over towards the door and peeked out into the dark hallway. It was very early in the morning and he didn't think that anyone was still up, but there was a light spilling in from under the door to the girl's room. Starting slowly and moving with the stealth and ease that he had learned over all those days of training Harry moved down the hallway and pressed his ear to the door to the girl's room.

"Ok, ok, I admit I had several crushes in school." The sly voice sounded like Bella.

"Hey, that's not fair, you were supposed to give details." This voice was slightly higher and reminded Harry of the arguments that Lavender and Parvati would have with Hermione about make-up and boys.

"She's got you there, sister." Obviously this silky voice had to be Narcissa if the first was indeed Bellatrix.

"Oh, fine. I had a rather large crush on James Potter." Now only was this a revelation to Harry, but to the other girls as he heard silence and then giggles starting out slowly before becoming almost unbearable.

"I can see that, he was a rather well built Quidditch player." Cissy spoke slowly, obviously remembering something.

"oooh…..everyone says that Harry looks just like his father, so does that mean you have a crush on him too?" Harry pressed his ear tighter to the door, but he didn't hear anything at first. There seemed to have been some whispering and then the same voice exclaimed louder. "Oh my god!"

Harry shook his head and decided not to try and figure out what everything meant with the girls as he moved away from them. He heard frantic speaking through the door, but was far enough away now that he wasn't able to understand what individual voices were saying; he kind of doubted that he would have understood some of it if he had actually been in the room with them. Moving down the hallway he pressed his ear to the door that was occupied by the twin's mother.

Listening for a moment at the door he cracked it open slowly. The light spilled into the room illuminated a small sliver of the bed and the mass of sheets that twisted and turned fitfully on the bed. He thought he heard small whimpers coming from the bed. He knew far too well the signs of nightmares and slowly closed the door to leave her alone. Thinking of something however he moved back towards his room and knelt down on the floor.

"Dobby?" He whispered slowly, not knowing if the elf would hear him properly or if he would come so late in the night. As he was thinking this though the tiny elf popped into the room and swayed slightly looking tired.

"Master Harry Potter sir calls, and Dobby comes" The small elf swayed slightly and his eyes drooped slightly from the sleep that had apparently been interrupted from.

"Dobby, I'm sorry to call you so late, but do you know where to find some dreamless sleep potion?" Harry spoke in almost a whisper, but he was sure that no one else would be able to hear him anyway.

"Master Harry Potter is so kind as to think of Dobby, and Dobby knows where to purchase some this late if that is what Master wishes, sir." Dobby seemed to brighten up a little knowing that Harry needed his help now.

"Yes, Dobby, go and get some. I want you to bring it back here once you get it." As soon as the words were out of his mouth the elf was gone in a pop.

Harry moved to his trunk and threw it open shifting throught he various items until he came up with a piece of parchment and a long quill as well as bottle of black ink. Filling up the quill, Harry wrote out a quite note and was just putting the finishing touches on it as Dobby popped back into the room with a small vial of the potion.

"Good, Dobby." Harry gave the small elf a hug and patted him on the head. "Go back to bed and I promise not to call on you so late anymore." Dobby beamed at him and stuttered about him being such a kind wizard to think of him before popping away to presumably sleep the rest of the night.

Slipping out of his room again, Harry ignored the door to the girl's room and moved silently over towards the next door on the left just across from it. If he had been paying more attention he would have heard the girls behind the door scrambling towards it to hear what was moving around outside in the hallway.

Harry gently pushed the door to the other guest room open and slipped to the bedside table. The mass of sheets was still thrashing back and forth as he moved to place the vial of potion and the note down on the bedside table before withdrawing. Pulling the door closed he heard muttering from behind the door just as he left and then a sigh. He smiled as he slipped back to his own bedroom thinking about the note he had written.

_Mrs. Patil,_

_I know that I cannot give enough sympathy for you in this trying time; however I have had some experience with nightmares. I hope that this can help you to sleep just a little better._

_Harry_


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: I'm sorry that I haven't posted in so long, it's been pretty hectic around my life right now and it's taking some time to get things done. I know it's really no excuse, but at the same time I do hope that you enjoy everything that I've got going here. Keep the reviews coming and remember that I don't own anything but the plot and a few characters.

It was only a few days before the start of term at Hogwarts and all the students would be returning and Harry's class had ballooned to several members of the Order of the Phoenix, Padma Patil, and her mother. Lavender and Parvati still did not want to get into the costumes that they deemed unworthy of them, let alone get all sweaty and try to impress someone. They were wary of participating, but they still happily watched Harry teaching with moving about on the conjured mats.

The class now contained several male and female members of the Order as well as various Aurors that had heard about the Order and the class from their colleagues. Not everyone that attended was part of the Order, and Dumbledore made certain that only those in the Order could find the house or Harry after the classes were over. Dumbledore himself had wanted to participate however he explained that his old age had prevented him from doing so.

After one particularly vigorous session, Harry was toweling his face and arms off wearing the usual white linen pants and top, Bellatrix and Narcissa, now disguised as Rachel and Claire, approached him. They seemed nervous about speaking to him about something, but they stopped a few feet from him.

"Harry, we really should talk to you about something." Once the words left Claire's mouth Harry moved his wand to his hand and dropped into a defensive stance.

"Harry, what in the world are you doing?" Rachel exclaimed, putting her hands on her hips to accentuate the black linen pants that she wore and stared at him incredulously.

"Every time you two try to talk to me, some major crisis occurs, I'm only being prepared." He smiled back to them. In the short span of time that they had been together in the house he had matured into an adult and felt the soft thrill of flirting and joking around with the other women.

The girls shrugged a little and let it go, since it had been the truth, in the past whenever either of them had approached him to talk there was something that invariably went wrong. "Actually we would like to talk to you about politics and we have a personal question to ask." Claire moved forward and placed a hand on his sweaty arm, fighting down a blush at the close contact. "Have you thought about leaving the wizarding world behind?"

Harry thought this through and then looked down at her with a soft compassionate expression. "Well, it had occurred to me a few times."

"What!?" Hermione's voice carried over the small room as she stormed over towards the gathering trio, staring between all of them. "What do you mean you've thought about leaving the wizarding world behind, magic is just too useful and we all have a job to do here?"

Harry sighed a little and scratched at his chin to figure out how best to put it. "I'm not talking about the magic; I'm talking about the people." She seemed confused so he ploughed on. "At one point or another, you included, the entire population of the magical world, has turned their back on me. First they think that I'm a savior, then I'm a murderer and then I'm a savior again. It's all rather confusing. It's completely possible that all this turning around has made me go insane, have you considered that?"

Hermione stared at him for a moment and then had the presence of mind to stare at the floor blushing slightly. She hated to admit to herself that she had never considered Harry's feelings in all of this and simply took it for granted that he would fight until the en and then go off with some witch to live happily ever after.

Claire looked between Hermione and Harry noticing the slight anger in his eyes and the defeat in her's. She gave his arm a gentle squeeze and smiled. "It's all right, Harry, you can talk to us about it now."

"I am talking to you about it now. It's just a little aggravating that everyone thinks that I'm this all powerful savior when, come on, I'm a sixteen year old kid. How does everyone expect me to take down one of the biggest dark lords in history?" A few of the Order members had stopped to talk to each other and paused at the door at his words. "I mean, really people listen to yourselves, I'm supposed to save everyone and I have no idea what it is that I'm doing." Everyone stared at him a little until Hermione's small voice came crystal clear through the silence.

"But you're Harry Potter, you've done it before, and everything else that's happened…"

"Look, I'm not saying that I'm not going to give it my all, and I'll probably die trying.." There were a few startled gasps at this as he continued on. "…but after the dark tosser is gone then I might consider leaving this entire world behind."

Rachel nodded thoughtfully as she had also considered disappearing from the magical world after the war was over, she was a wanted criminal after all. "There were other things that we wanted to discuss, more specifically your responsibilities as Head of our House."

"Yes, I read about the different levels of the Ancient and Noble houses in one of the books in the library." Harry was thankful for the change in topic as most of the others cleared out the room leaving a small group of the Patils and Lavender standing in one of the corners with Luna staring dreamily up at the ceiling.

"There are basically three levels to the house structure in these situations." Claire took up the explanation, feeling herself back in her element of aristocrat and teacher. "There's the basic member, such as myself an my sister here, we don't have political power based on the name and have to defer to the higher ups if we want to really do anything ambitious."

Harry nodded that he understood so far. "Makes sense, which also explains why you reverted to my charges when you became Blacks again."

"Exactly. The next step up is what you are, the Head of the House, now this position can be held by anyone deemed worthy enough of the honor by the Head of the Family. This head doesn't need to be a direct descendent or even related to the family, as you are not. The final position is that of the Head of the Family. This is the last male descendent of the main branch of the line. Sirius was the last Head of the Family and was able to appoint you as the new Head of House." Claire explained everything, while Rachel stared at the floor at the mention of her dead cousin, still feeling guilty over what had happened and what she caused.

Hermione put a hand over her mouth as Harry touched Rachel's shoulder to calm her down. "Harry, you're a mob boss." This caused the serious mood in the room to drop considerably as Harry snickered a little. The other purebloods didn't seem to understand the reference, or why two muggle raised were now laughing openly.

Claire shook her head at their antics a little and shrugged. "It would be good of you to start forging political contacts and allies. Once you graduate you can take your position on the Wizagamot and really start to reform the government."

"On that note, perhaps we should start things off with a bang." Luna smiled as she walked over to the small group, speaking loudly enough for everyone to hear. "I think we should all swear a loyalty oath to Harry. What do you think, Hermione?"

"Why should we have to do that? We all know and he knows that we're his friends, right?" Hermione scoffed, starting to feel her fur returning and it rising on the back of her neck. She looked around and noticed the Patils still speaking quietly in the corner so she allowed the transformation to take place.

"Not to put too fine a point on it, but you did turn your back on me, Mione." Harry smiled a little, watching his friend blush at the nickname.

"Well, actually…" Claire tapped her finger on her chin for a moment drawing the stares of the others around her. "Harry, do you remember the list?"

Harry thought for a moment before he realized what list she was talking about. "No…no no no no, there's no possible way, what about-"

"Did they go against you politically? Did they slander your name in a public forum?" Claire spoke slowly, getting strange looks from three of the four around her.

"What are you going on about?" Hermione crossed her arms over her chest as she stared at the girl that she was determined to loathe. Harry moved back to a stack of books on a nearby table, sliding out the sheaf of parchment that he had gotten from the goblins.

He didn't say anything, just thrusting the piece of parchment in her face. He watched as he saw the gears turning in her head as she read over the list. He always thought it was amazing that she seemed to grasp things so quickly, but others had to be shown to her before she would believe it. This was especially true when it came to pureblood nonsense in the magical population. Once she had read the list though she rushed over to the other small group clustered near the door.

Showing the list to the gathered females of the group caused an instant commotion as all four of the women in question rushed over the Harry. Lakshimi threw her arms around Harry's neck and nearly dragged him down to the ground as she cried into his shoulder. The twins were a little astounded by their mother's reaction, but understood what was going on.

"You saved my baby, I had no idea." Lakshimi cried softly.

"Neither did I to be honest, I was only doing what was right at the time. I didn't know that those Slytherins really meant business, Padma." He smiled over the older woman's shoulder to her daughter whom stared at the ground and blushed. Seeing the confused looks he smiled. "It was after a DA meeting, I was walking back to the common room when I found Padma being assaulted by the Slytherin girls."

"So the Weasleys…do they know about this?" Hermione waved the paper at Rachel and Claire, diverting to their wisdom in this matter.

"Yes, I suppose they probably do, which was why they tried to circumvent the goblins to get to the gold at Gringots. They had a copy of your key, Harry which is how they got your money."

"Yes, I used to give it to Mrs. Weasley when she went shopping for everyone. I didn't think they were taking more than they needed out though. Might also be why they tried to get me to marry Ginny?" He smiled at the looks of pure anger on the other women's faces and couldn't help but laugh at their protective nature and the slight hint of jealousy that he found there.

XoXo

Harry knew that he was dreaming even before he opened his eyes. He could feel air rushing around his body, but he wasn't falling, he seemed to be gently gliding along an air current towards something. Slowly his body touched a cold stone surface and he was lying on his back staring up at something. His eyes fluttered open and he stared around him in awe.

He was lying in a large rounded room flanked by white marble columns with white air between the columns and out around the large room. Staring upwards he had to shield his eyes as he saw a large glowing red sphere in the center of the domed ceiling. The sphere expelled licks of orange reddish flames once in a while and glowed brightly from within. Around the massive sphere floated smaller spheres in an elliptical pattern around the larger. Remembering his Astronomy Harry counted out the smaller spheres and smiled, ten.

The last sphere on the outer edge of the dome was completely black, like a solid snooker ball that slowly spun on an axis and then joined the others in its slow way around the perimeter of the dome and then back again to the original spot.

As Harry sat up he peered through two columns where the floor continued through them and into a much larger chamber. This larger chamber was laid out in a large rectangle with the stone floor as before and flanked by white marble columns that held up a large pointed roof. Staring above him as he entered the second chamber Harry could barely make out the ceiling as it was so high up, but it wasn't that which drew his attention.

Seated on the floor in the middle of the rectangular room were a cluster of five women all wearing identical draped robes over their shoulders and sweeping down their bare angles and feet. Harry recognized a few of them from his dreams before, but there was one in particular that held herself more regal with a gold circlet on her head. They all appeared to be staring into a pool of water that didn't reflect anything back at them. Coming closer he could see that the pool showed images, mostly of his life, but of others as well; he was reminded of watching television when the Dursley's were out.

The blonde woman nearest to Harry was twirling a lock of her hair around her fingers when she looked up and saw him. They seemed to recognize each other as she jumped to her feet squealing "Harry." She attempted to rush over to him, her legs dangling in the air like a cartoon as she tried to run to him only to realize that she was being held back by the woman sitting next to her.

"You ruin all my fun, do you know that, sister?" The blonde pouted to the black haired woman next to her whom was wearing a large plumed helmet.

"The last time you had fun.." One of the other women spoke up from around the circle. She wore a gold circlet around her head and seemed to hold herself much more regal straight backed on the stone. "The last time you had fun, you destroyed a prominent civilization."

"I apologized for that." The blonde pouted, looking up at the woman still holding her robes. "Are you going to let go of me, sister, or not?"

"Of course I'm not going to let go, you're not to maul our young guest here."

"As I seem to remember it, you were also part of that little scuffle, sister." The blonde retorted angrily, staring daggers at the one holding her. One of the other women along the circle giggled gently, putting her hand to her mouth.

"Yes, I seem to remember a fellow named Paris caused quite a stir around here, although why I wasn't invited I'll never know." Harry recognized the dark haired woman from before, but he was at a loss as to what was going on.

The regal woman stood up in a huff, although she wasn't entirely angry listening to the byplay of the others around her. "All right, enough you two, just sit right back down. Harry, dear, please do come in."

Harry moved a little hesitantly as the women rejoined the circle and he settled down between the regal looking woman and the other woman that he had met before. Staring down into the pool he watched as images of his life and certain things flashed by. There were images of what had happened, but also of others that he didn't recognized. One image of him and Hermione making out on the train made him blush a little as he watched the water swirl back into a clear liquid.

"We've brought you here for a number of reasons, Harry, can you guess at what they might be?" The woman on his left spoke clearly, but her voice seemed to echo in the hollow spaces. Harry stared down into the pool of water that had frozen on an image of him laughing with his friends, probably during first year.

"This has to do with the prophecy, doesn't it?" He looked hopeful across the pool into the soft brown orbs of the woman that he had met before. "You told me that it was only partially true before."

The woman smiled before answering. "Yes, our sisters have made quite the conundrum with all this haven't they?" Two women to her left looked a little put out and pouted slightly.

"It isn't our fault that he's the savior, we were just doing our job." They seemed to chorus in an eerily similar manner to the Weasley twins. The woman next to Harry snicker a little as the dark haired woman smacked the girl nearest to her on the back of the head.

"Fortunately for these two we recognized the importance of the prophecy. I don't even think that your Headmaster truly understands the meaning of the prophecy, nor will he ever." The regal looking woman smiled lightly to Harry. "But I think that you have a better idea now, don't you, dear?"

"Voldemort is going to destroy the world, isn't he? This no longer just affects the magical populations?" Harry nodded solemnly as he stared into the swirling water before him. "It's him or me." He muttered under his breath. The women on either side of him put a comforting hand on each of his shoulders and he felt a soft rush of magic and warmth through his body.

"That is why we're hear, young one. In so many millennia there have only been a handful of times where our intervention becomes necessary. We have intervened far too many times in the past causing a near civil war with our brothers and sisters; however now we only interfere if it is needed. Should you fail, everything will be decimated under the so called Dark Lord." The woman across from him spoke slowly, but he understood, this was important to everyone.

"It's because of this magnitude that we have decided to give you a slight push in the right direction." The regal woman stared at Harry for a moment and he got a feeling that his soul was being scrutinized before she smiled lightly. "You have already started to gather an army about you, but it will take more than that. It is our gifts that shall overcome many obstacles. First, we have unlocked your full magical core as well as the knowledge of your ancestors; you now have access to an incredible wealth of knowledge."

"What my mother fails to tell you is that each of us bestows our own gifts to you. The magic is from me of course." The dark haired woman across from him smiled before the next spoke up, the woman with the large plumed helmet.

"You are truly a Gryffindor, so that I need not give you the gift of courage for you have that already. Instead I give you the gift of knowledge as well, but of strategy and battle tactics. There is much that has been lost over the years that will be needed again." She bowed her head and turned to the blonde sitting next to her. "Your turn, sister."

The blonde thought for a moment and then gave Harry a stare with a slight pout. If he were older he would have recognized the "bedroom eyes" of the woman next to him, but as such didn't seem to see anything amiss. "I grant you what I stand for, however you have to use it in such a manner that you would see fit. I know that you will use it wisely." Almost sagely she turned and placed her hands demurely in her lap gaining a few stares from her sisters.

"Oh dear gods." A few heads came up at the proclamation, but the regal woman waved them down. "Not you, just saying that if she's….oh never mind. Finally, Harry, there are two among you that will need to be altered so that they can stay with you. I know from my daughter, that they will wish to stay with you regardless of the consequences."

"You mean the Black sisters, as well as Tonks?"

"Yes, Harry. Your friends will be instrumental in your victory so you will need all the support you can get this year. When you leave this place, tell your headmaster and the girls that you had found a ritual that will de-age them back to sixteen. I doubt you will have much argument from them, but your Headmaster might resist. Once the ritual is set up we'll take care of the rest." She smiled knowingly as the blonde giggled a little at the implications of the trick.

"What will this phony ritual be like? I mean, I'm sure Professor Dumbledore, will recognize anything that I do."

"Don't worry, we've already planted a plan in your head and you should be able to pull it off flawlessly. It is a combination of several existing rituals so it shouldn't rouse suspicion."

"I'm glad that you're helping me, but don't you think that it's a little convenient. I mean to say that if anyone ever found out they would say that having you all helping me is just a way out of me actually doing the real work here." Harry sighed a little thinking that he had offended them. He knew that he would never tell anyone about them helping, but what if someone found out.

"Well, if they find out then they can sod off for all I care. You're a powerful wizard on your own, Harry, but no one seems to realize that you're out there on your own and you're still underage. If anyone were to complain I would simply have to hex them." The woman across from him smiled gently and received other affirmations before the image started to get fuzzy and slowly revolve into a swirling white mist.


	17. Chapter 17

After Harry had woken from his dream the next morning he began to form the plans in his mind. First and foremost he had to clear everything with not only the girls, but with Dumbledore as well. So, after he had showered and dressed he sought out the aging headmaster for a long and somewhat difficult chat.

Harry already had in mind what he wanted to say to the man when he found him in the Black library pouring over a number of tomes on wards. Plucking up his courage, as a Gryffindor, and moved into the library to speak to the man. He sat down nervously across from him and waited for the opportune moment, not wishing to disturb the man's reading as he slowly sat forward and formulated the plan in his mind.

As Harry was discussing the plan with Dumbledore, across the house in another set of rooms the girls were having their own small conference. Sitting on the wooden floor of the bedroom that normally housed Ginny and Hermione, when the redhead had stayed there with all of them, a small circle of friends had gathered. Sitting in the circle were both the Patil twins, their mother, Lavender, Hermione (licking her arm to clean her fur), Bellatrix, Narcissa, Luna and Tonks.

As everyone was starting to break into individual arguments and conversations, Hedwig flew through the opening of the small window at the far end of the bedroom and perched on Tonks' shoulder. Thrusting out her leg she gave an indignant hoot as if to say that she wasn't getting enough deliveries and it should be her Harry to give her letters in the first place. Tonks took the letter off the owl's leg, giving her feathers a fluff before she took off once more and disappeared out the open window once more. She scanned the letter and then waved it to get everyone's attention.

"My mother says that the legal aspects should be no problem." She said once everyone had quieted down a little more.

"Are you sure we should be doing this behind Harry's back?" Hermione spoke up before she went back to licking her fur a little more.

"Do you have to do that right now? It really is disgusting." Lavender spoke up from across the circle from Hermione. Turning her amber eyes onto the blonde girl she narrowed them a little more.

"And just when am I supposed to be doing it? I'm a cat, if you haven't noticed."

"Ladies, please, the adults are talking." Narcissa smiled as she turned back to Tonks, ignoring the maturity display as the girls in question stuck their tongues out at the older woman. "Your mother is an exceptional woman, is she sure about all of this?"

"Yes, Aunt Cissy." She smiled as the woman blanched at the shortening of her name. "She is absolutely sure that there is no existing ruling that would go against our scheme, the only drawback would be that Harry would have to go to the Ministry himself, so we'll have to tell him eventually."

"Knowing him he isn't going to like that we did all of this against his will." Hermione spoke up again.

"He's also male, and I'm sure that he won't mind in the least considering what he's getting out of the deal." Luna spoke up with her dreamy voice and large blue eyes fixed up on the ceiling. Since she had come to the house and started to work out with the rest of them she had started to fill out in her robes, but her demeanor had also changed.

The wispy blonde had started to talk to others and drop the dreamy eyes that she usually wore. When speaking specifically with Harry or Hermione she seemed focused and serious unless the situation was outright ludicrous in which case she would point things out as such. For Hermione it was a welcome change in the small girl, knowing that she was starting to gain a much better friend in the girl.

"There is that to consider, girls. Are you fully prepared for such a thing to happen?" Lakshimi spoke up as she leaned back and propped her arms on the floor behind her. "I mean, I'm happy that my daughters might be involved, but we all have to make our own decisions."

"Mom, Harry is a wonderful young man and all of us owe our lives to him in one fashion or another." Padma patted her mother's arm from where she was sitting next to her. "We even heard what he did for you when we first got here."

The older woman smiled gently and nodded a little. "He is a wonderful young man, don't get me wrong, but you all will be bound to him in more ways than one if you go through with this."

Parvati turned to her friend sitting next to her and gave her a soft nudge. "Lavender, didn't you have the hots for Ron at one point?" The blonde blanched slightly and gave a soft gurgling noise making her friend giggle. "Ok, ok, fine, but I'm just pointing out that you have options…"

"Yes, I know and spending a few hours in a broom closet with a flexible Ravenclaw is definitely a good thought."

"Sorry, Lavender, I have my sights set on someone else, but I'll let you know if it falls through." Luna said her statement in such an off handed way that no one was really sure if she was serious or not. After a moment to contemplate it though it really didn't matter as a few of the girls broke out into giggles making Lavender blush a deep red.

"I think we should at least talk to Harry about it, who knows how he'll feel about it all." Bellatrix spoke up for the first time with her back to the door. The complete silence in the room made her look up a little at her companions, but she wasn't getting anything but strange looks over her shoulder.

"I think that would be a nice start, Trixie." A voice came from over her shoulder and she spun around so fast that she nearly fell over. Instantly a hand was outstretched and caught her waist slightly as she started her fall. She looked up and stared into the bright green eyes of her savior before she blushed a little and steadied herself.

"Why is it that I'm always catching you? I think you're worse than your niece, Trixie." Harry scolded lightly while Dumbledore stood in the doorway trying to conceal his laughter.

"I told you never to call me that again." The aforementioned Bellatrix stood hotly with her hands on her hips; however the intimidation factor was lost as she was still blushing from her near fall.

"And what do you mean she's as bad as me?" Tonks attempted to stand up to confront the black haired youth; attempted because as soon as her butt left the floor she slipped on a loose particle of dust and came crashing down again.

"Harry, I swear that if you ever call me that again I'll-"Bellatrix tried to sound intimidating once more, but was cut off as she shivered and grab at her left forearm. This of course wasn't lost on the others that were sitting down on the floor. It was slightly odd seeing her do such an old habit as she had been freed for so long, but they had seen that action a few times in the last two months.

Hermione was not the first to pick up on the odd reactions that both Black sisters whenever they started to mention cursing someone. No one had thought to ask about it as it was happening less and less, but now she found that she wasn't able to hold her tongue any longer.

"Harry, just why does that keep happening?" Hermione stared at Bellatrix as she gripped her left forearm for a moment.

"It's an after effect of them devoting themselves to the light, interestingly enough. I told them before that they would never be able to purposefully harm someone again, so whenever they think about it…." Harry left the statement hanging letting everyone drawing their own conclusions.

Indignantly Hermione jumped to her feet hissing slightly. "You're no better than him then, hurting them just for thinking thoughts like that."

"Who said it was pain, dear girl?" Narcissa spoke up at this point and smiled a little.

"So, if I were to think about something else, it wouldn't keep going off?" Trixie spoke up from the floor where she was still holding her arm. At a nod from Harry however her eyes seemed to glaze over and she leaned back propping her arms up on the wooden floor. After a moment a girlish giggle came from her mouth, but she didn't seem to realize what she was doing.

"Exactly how is that better than pain? I mean, wouldn't it encourage them to do it more often?" Padma spoke up for the first time since Harry had come into the room.

Luna surprisingly was the one to speak up while staring at Trixie's face in fascination. "Of course not, it interferes with daily life and takes away any real rational thought that they could make. Narcissa seems to have things under control, but Trixie is having a much harder time of it."

Harry shook himself slightly to get back to what the original topic of conversation had been, for a moment he couldn't remember what he wanted to say. "Right then, what were you ladies talking about before I got here, anyway?" The girls seemed to look back and forth between one another until Narcissa decided to take up the explanations.

"Andy is a brilliant law witch and when she returned to her husband we sent her a letter asking if a certain law was still being observed. She just wrote back and said that it was and that we could use it to all of our advantages."

"And exactly which law would that be, Cissy?" Harry smiled a little mischievously as he received a death glare from the woman.

"Back before the founders of Hogwarts, and maybe even before the founding of the Ministry itself, there was a law that allowed for the heads of families to go into a binding magical alliance. As near as I can describe it, it's what muggles used to base their liegemen status for lords of the land." Narcissa leaned back on her elbows a little and stretched out her back slightly before pulling herself back up. "In essence we would all be pledging to follow your family until you let us out of it. There are some drawbacks however."

Harry had been caught up watching the beautiful form of her body stretching, but was snapped back to reality by the seriousness of her tone. "What kind of drawbacks?"

This time it was Hermione that had answered. "The contract itself invokes powerful magic that would either kill or strip the magic out of someone that goes into the alliance with ulterior motives. This would be people wanting to use their status as your liege against you in some fashion. The other slight drawback is…well…"

"We would be your willing slaves." The dreamy voice of Luna floated over the heads of the rest of the crowd. She was still staring up at the ceiling at nothing in particular, but her head was cocked to the side slightly.

"That's not exactly it." Tonks jumped to defend the position as she was seeing that Harry was starting to object already. "You would have sway in who we marry ultimately since this is a political thing. Beyond that we are to serve you and help you on your path in life."

Harry was going to object even more strongly when he felt an aged hand on his shoulder giving it a gentle squeeze. "It isn't what you think, Harry, the girls are willing to do this for you to help you out. They would still have their own lives to live and after the war you all will have plenty of time to discuss their options. And before you push everyone away, remember again that they came up with this on their own. They are willing to risk their lives and magic to help you." Harry relaxed and sighed gently.

"I suppose I understand where this is all coming from, but why has the law fallen out of practice? I figured people would want to have strong alliances nowadays."

"That may be true, but the powerful magic needed for such an alliance to occur scares most witches and wizards. Added to the fact that they would be subservient to someone else, not to mention they would have to have pure reasons to go into it for it to work in the first place, not many purebloods fit those description, don't you think?" Dumbledore smiled a little and chuckled lightly at the giggles from a few of the girls in the room.

Harry smiled and nodded "Yes, I suppose you are right. After all of this though I've completely forgotten why I even came up here to being with."

"Hogwarts." Dumbledore said simply and it seemed to create a spark of interest among the group. It was no great secret that all the girls had gotten to know each other well and those that would be returning to Hogwarts worried about their friends now that they had become so close.

"Oh, right. Actually, what you all have created goes right into what I and the Headmaster were just discussing. Since you will all be my liege women, I figured it only necessary to have everyone close by." Harry put his hands behind his back and waited for the inevitable Hermione rant, or the questions to start flying; he was not disappointed.

"I suppose we could sneak a few others in, but the professors would undoubtedly notice, although Tonks can sneak in easily…" Hermione kept going, rattling off solutions and plans already forming in her head as to how to sneak the older members of their little group into the school unnoticed.

For his part, Harry simply turned to the three women in question. "Bella, Narcissa, Tonks, would you care to join the rest of us at Hogwarts this year? I for one think that you could instruct us in some good things, not to mention it would be good to have all of us close at hand should something happen."

Bella snapped out of her trance at the mention of her name and stared at her sister and her niece across from her for a moment. The dreamy look was gone from her eyes and all three could tell the cold calculating look that had earned her a reputation when she was in Hogwarts for troublemaking. It wasn't widely distributed that she caused as much havoc as the Weasley twins or even the infamous Marauders; the difference was the fact that her plans were subtle and usually involved several steps that would take place over a long period of time.

Tonks looked between her aunts and then shrugged a little. She was always game for a little fun and she knew that her life wasn't going anywhere for the moment. In fact it would seem that the Aurors weren't doing nearly as much as they should and her personal life was absolutely nothing. The last date that she could remember having was well before the end of the last Hogwarts term and it had ended horribly. She decided right there that no matter what she would follow Harry and see where it took her.

"All right, I think we're in. Now what's your plan, fearless leader?" Narcissa spoke up for the small group. She had made her decision almost immediately when it was proposed. Even if she didn't get to interact with her son she would still be safe away from her ex-husband and his friends.

"Now, you have to all make another decision. Before you do, however consider the ramifications." Harry turned to each slowly and moved around the circle. "Narcissa, if you do this then you're leaving behind everything that you know and everything that makes you who you are; you might even have to interact with Draco on a daily basis." She nodded so he continued. "Tonks, we would have to discuss it with your boss, but you would be away for long periods of time, making it hard for your personal life as well. Your mother and your friends might not see you for days or weeks on end depending on the schedules." She nodded as well so he moved on. "Bella, you really have nothing to loose at this point, do you?" She stuck her tongue out at him, but smiled. "I'm going to give you something you've never had before, a choice in your own life. Now, you all have to decide on how to do it."

Tonks looked around and shrugged. Her appearance slowly changed to match that of Lavender before changing her hair to a darker blonde and her eyes to match Harry's. "I don't have much of an issue there, although holding this for long periods of time might be stressful."

Harry nodded and tried to keep the smile off his face, he wanted this to come as a shock to them all. "There are three other options then for each of you and I want you to consider them all."

Hermione, ever the bookworm, was the first to start listing them off her fingers. "Polyjuice, glamour, and…." Here she faltered slightly as her brain worked harder to find something else that there was. "…appearance altering charms would fall under glamour, so what's the third?"

Harry smiled gently and the Headmaster chuckled behind him slightly. "A de-aging ritual of course." The girls all stared at him as if he were nuts, and then as one started screaming out questions.


	18. Chapter 18

The bedroom where the girls were having their conference erupted into chaos after Harry's proclamation about what he was planning to do. They all started pairing off talking and chattering in their own little groups about all the different things that could possibly come from the de-aging ritual that he had proposed.

Parvati and Lavender were chatting quite rapidly about never having to age ever again and always keeping their beautiful good looks as they were now; each of them touching their faces and giggling about the possibility of never having to grow old again. Padma and Hermione were talking slightly slower, but still talking over each other, talking about the various types of runes, spells, arithmetic formulas and such that would be needed to accomplish such a ritual; neither had heard anything like this before and while Harry didn't give out any clues as to what the ritual actually contained, it didn't stop the two girls from going on about what it could entail.

It was Luna's voice that carried enough weight to it to lift over the gaggle of conversations and reach Harry's ears. At her voice everyone seemed to quiet and think for a moment, Harry's own eyes focused on the bright blue orbs and considered the seriousness of what she was really asking.

"What about Mrs. Patil? Doesn't she get the same consideration?" Her eyes shifted from the ceiling to stare into Harry's own eyes for a moment and he could tell the depth of emotion that she was trying to convey with the simple and honest question. All eyes turned the elder Indian woman, forcing her to sit up and look between her twin daughters.

"No, that's perfectly acceptable and all right with me. I have lived my life as fully as I possibly can. I have met my soul mate and while…" She paused for a moment as she started to tear up, but held up by her daughters on either side of her and feeling the soft crack in her voice she continued. "I met my soul mate when I was sixteen as well, and while I wished he was still here, I know that no one out there would be a match to him. I've lived my life with no regrets and even given the opportunity to do it all over again, I know that I would not. At any rate, I need to head the family now and make sure that things are in line for when these two grow up." She indicated her daughters on either side of her and smiled slightly. "Mostly to make sure when Parvati grows up, Padma is pretty much already there."

"Mum!" Parvati whined slightly in earning a giggle from her mother and her sister on the other side.

Harry had swept his eyes quickly over the rest of the group and settled on the three witches in question chatting away fast in a huddled group on the floor. They seemed to be making hand gestures and sweeping motions with their arms as they drew out pros and cons on the floor with their fingers. Harry watched them for a few moments before speaking slowly and making sure that his voice still carried around the room.

"What do you say, girls?" At this the three witches looked up and all turned to face him. Each had a slightly pensive look on their faces as they all individually considered the offer.

"We'll do it!" The voices chorused and then giggled slightly as they looked to each other. The others in the room had to laugh as well at their well timed response.

Harry enjoyed a light chuckle at their antics and then smiled gently. "There is one condition of the ritual that might be a bit sticky, and you do still have the opportunity to change your minds here." He waited for a moment while everyone digested this before he continued and gave the girls the one thing that he was sure they did not want to hear. "You will have to be honest about your current ages." He smiled a little a the utter disbelief that he had seen around the room, more specifically from Parvati and Lavender, the later of which couldn't hold her tongue any longer.

"You never ask a woman her age, Harry. It's just so unethical and just not right."

"If you don't feel like sharing with the group, that's fine, but for the ritual I need to know how many years we're taking off your body as it needs to come off in stages. The ritual will utilize your blood to take your body down to a specific age, but without a starting point it could go horribly wrong and you'll end up as toddlers again." He felt a slight snickering in his head that was responded to by a loud smack, but he ignored it the best he could. The ladies still looked a little unnerved by the idea of not only utilizing their blood, but being honest with at least Harry about how old they really were.

"I myself have looked over the ritual itself and it seems very sound. You three should have nothing to worry about communicating your ages now considering you will no longer be those ages at the end of the ritual." Dumbledore spoke for the first time from the doorway drawing most eyes to him and then swinging back over to Harry. "I have endorsed Harry's idea as well to sort the girls again when they are ready to return to Hogwarts in two days time."

"You should also consider your third sister in all this as well." Hermione spoke up, breaking off her conversation with Padma. "I mean, Andy might be happy with her life and all, but how is she going to feel about having you two as teenagers again."

"We've never really gotten along too well. I suppose she would be happy that we are trying to make our own lives again and making our own choices, finally." Bella sighed slightly as she leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees. "Neither of us ever had a choice in our lives from when we were sixteen onwards. She broke out and got her own man, and I would like to do that as well. I think she would support us in all of this." Both she and her sister smiled gently to the bushy brunette for her thoughtfulness, which brought a slight smile to the rest of the group.

Clapping his hands Harry got the attention of the group once more. "All right, so we're all agreed that we're going to do this. The next order of business is for the rest of you girls to come up with a makeover plan." At the strange looks he was getting he thought over his words. "Ok, maybe not completely, but we're going to have to make these two look less like their older counterparts, they are still wanted women." He received nods from the others as he stood and walked out of the bedroom with the three witches following in his wake.

Harry led them down the hall and into another bedroom that had been converted specifically for this purpose. All of the furniture had been moved either to the side of the room or out of it completely. White and red candles burned on either side of the room and the drapes were pulled shut over the windows causing flickering shadows to appear on the walls. Laid out in the center of the room, drawn in white on the floor, was one large circle with four smaller circles with three facing a single one on the other side.

As the quintet, Dumbledore wanting to watch the ritual is performed, entered the room they noticed at least a dozen runes on the floor encircling the various circles as well as the three smaller circles within. At his direction the girls placed themselves inside the smaller circles as he drew a large number sixteen in the larger circle with white chalk before picking up an ornate silver dagger and going to each of the girls in turn.

"Bellatrix Black, do you formally renounce your old life and wish to begin again?" He asked rather formally, clutching the dagger in his left hand as he held her right.

After taking a deep breath she responded. "I do."

"Now comes the hard part, how old are you currently?" Harry tried to keep the smile off his face as she debated with herself whether or not she should tell him the truth.

"Forty" She mumbled, but Harry smiled gently as he pricked her hand with the silver dagger and moved down the line to her sister. Bellatrix drew a large twenty-four facing outwards towards the smaller circle.

"Narcissa Black, do you formally renounce your old life and wish to begin again?" Harry smiled as he asked, watching the play of emotions across her face for a moment before she decided to answer.

"I do, and I'm thirty-seven, so you don't even need to ask." She smiled as her eyes sparkled slightly. Harry once again pricked her hand with the dagger and she wrote a large twenty-one on the floor in front of her.

"Nymphadora Tonks…." Here, the witch in question winced at the usage of her first name, but it was slightly tempered by the fact that Harry was holding her hand gently in his. "I know, but we'll find a better one for you later." He smiled and winked at her, causing her to blush slightly. "Do you formally renounce your old life and wish to begin again?"

"I do." She took a deep breath and stared into his eyes. "I'm twenty-five, so no big deal." Harry used the dagger to cut her hand slightly as she wrote a nine facing the circle inward on the wooden floor in front of her.

Standing back Harry put the dagger back down on the shelf nearby as he stood in the final circle that faced the other three. He placed his hands, left on top of the right over the large number sixteen written on the floor in white chalk as he began to chant slightly. He began with the runes and they glow blue for a moment before slowly dying out. Each moved in succession around the edge of the largest circle before coming back to him. Next he said the same phrase in English and then in Latin.

"Gods of old and gods of new, strip away what time has wrought! What was will be what is will be no more. Open wide the gates of time." At the last proclamation shafts of golden light ran up from the floor and filled the three smaller circles that held the girls. Each was still just visible through the haze of golden light as they started to change.

The change did not seem to be painful as the girls had their arms out to their sides and their mouths open. A close observer might even wonder if it was slightly pleasurable for them, but they all began to change at once. Hair began to grow out of their heads, replacing what was there as it seemed to fall away; the color changing, forcing Tonks back into her natural black and Cissy more into a dirty blonde color.

The next change was their bodies as each shrunk slightly in height, their robes showing loosely on their new bodies. As they shrunk their hips twisted slightly to become more pronounced, their legs more shapely and in the case of the two eldest their busts became more pronounced as well. Their faces softened slightly as skin softened and cheek bones pushed out along their jaws.

As the golden light started to fade away the girls and Harry fell forward onto their knees panting from the exertion of the entire ritual. Even though Harry knew the entire thing was a farce it still forced a lot of magic in the room and it was well within his right to be a little tired after it all. The girls seemed to be exhausted, but excited as they stared at each other and then embraced each of them, nearly screaming.

Dumbledore had come forward and helped Harry to stand before the girls nearly smashed him back down to the floor with hugs. He noticed that each of them felt nice in his arms, their bodies were smaller, but still had some edge to it based on genetics. Tonks even had her hair cycling through colors already before they peeled themselves away from him and started to chatter away happily with each other about the coming school year.

"Harry, there is something that we should talk about…" Dumbledore began, but Harry seemed to already know where he was going with it as he held up a hand.

"Sir, I think that the girls are going to need to have a few muggle changes done, specifically hair and eyes so that they look less like their adult versions. Also, their names." Harry groaned a little as he leaned on the table behind him slightly.

"I rather like using Rachel and Claire still, and we can dye our hair to match what we had before. It's not like anyone will really know who we are besides our small group." Cissy, now Claire, spoke up first.

Tonks took exception to this, tossing her black hair over her shoulder as she put her hands on her hips. "What about me? I don't really have a good alias that I can go by, and I'm definitely not using my real name."

"We can always go with what Ted wanted to call you." Dumbledore smiled slightly. "Mary Sue seems slightly fitting, don't you?" The girls stuck out their tongues as Harry laughed slightly and shook his head.

"What about your middle name? Maybe a version of that." Rachel spoke up, tapping a finger on her chin and swishing her own heavy black hair around.

"How about Cassie? You can use Andy's maiden name, same as us. There were lots of Blacks at one time, not all of them related to Sirius and I don't think many people will look twice at it." Claire smiled slightly.

"I guess that's better than Nymphadora, but still it's just a little weird being a Black." The new Cassie scrunched up her face slightly as she looked at her new arms, trying hard not to revert back to her preferred older form.

Dumbledore seemed to think for a moment before nodding slightly. "I guess using Black would cause a few problems, but it would be easily taken care of. Also, you three will have to be sorted again as transfer students. It should be difficult as there are others that will be joining Hogwarts now that Voldemort is more active." Harry smiled and nodded slightly as he moved towards the door to lead them back towards the girl's bedroom, a small hand on his arm stopped him as he turned to see the soft blue eyes of Claire.

"Harry, you have no idea how grateful we are that you were willing to do this for us. It means so much to us to have our lives back again." She hugged him tightly as they moved back to the bedroom.

The girls made it to the bedroom first and upon opening the door there was a large commotion as the other surged forward to get a good look at the new teenagers. Parvati and Lavender were already making plans as to make-up, hair dyes and colored lenses that would change their eye colors. Padma and Hermione were still going on about the runes and quizzing Claire on the type of spells and such that had been used during the ritual. It was Luna, once again, that tried to bring some order back to the chaotic group.

"My Liege, I believe we should consider the contract now as it will become much easier to keep in contact and to help each other once at school." Luna said in her more focused voice as she directed it at Harry, making sure no one mid-judged whom she was giving the title to.

"I hadn't thought of that, but yes, we would be vassals, wouldn't we?" Hermione said softly as she looked back towards Harry and smiled gently. "Well, I for one am ready to take a fealty oath as well as sign the contract." Harry looked slightly confused so she decided to explain. "You would in essence be our feudal lord, or Liege as Luna put it. We would have to answer to you and come to you when marriage contracts come to us. We're not slaves, so don't worry about that, but politically you would control our lives; this includes marriage because in feudalism marriage is very much a political bond."

"I can't sign the contract or take the oath as I'm not the Head of my family, but I'll still stand by you, Harry." Lavender said and batted her eyes at him slightly, causing the young man to blush and a few girls to giggle. "I was hoping to ask someone out this year though if you would be willing to give me some pointers."

"I will gladly give my consent for my girls to sign it." Lakshimi said smiling softly. "Although there is the media backlash that you have to consider. Any contracts that are signed this significant have to be reported the Ministry and undoubtedly the news would get out somehow."

"How would that be bad for me and you all?" Harry said a little confused. Dumbledore chuckled slightly here.

"It is mainly because of the common name of the law. If you think about it, it does make sense, but the law was last used to create a small group of women that would follow a single man, much in the way that you're doing now." Harry groaned as he started to think of the implications. "Yes, my boy, you are correct."

Harry stared at the ceiling wondering how he got himself into these situations and he could already hear the _Daily Prophet _articles as well as a few people talking in his head excitedly. "It's the Harem Law."


	19. Chapter 19

The day before the household was to return to Hogwarts on the train a number of incidents happened that would change a few of their plans for the rest of the year. The first of these was the fact that Harry and Dumbledore had to go to the Ministry to register his new contract and have it validated by the Head of the Department of Law Enforcement. Understandably so, Harry was apprehensive about going there based one what happened the last time he was at the Ministry, but it was necessary for him to go there in person.

The main reason that the contract had to be validated by this specific department was the fact that it formed a small amount of people for the security of each other; not to mention the legal ramifications if one or more of them were arrested and Harry had to explain the fact that they were his vassals, but it was a necessary evil if he wanted the girls to be closer to him. The one conversation that he was dreading was the inevitability of the girls at Hogwarts wanting a piece of him and get in one the contract, but as Mooney said they would "cross that bridge when they came to it."

So it was with little trepidation that Harry and Dumbledore found themselves first port-keying into the Ministry and then walking along many deserted corridors. It seemed to Harry that many employees were still not coming in to work even if it had been months since the Death Eaters and several students had broken in. He idelly wondered why it was so easy for them to get into the seat of the magical government as he was lead down past the Minister's office towards the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

"Mr. Potter!" A voice behind him caught his attention and he was turning around when he noticed a wand pointed directly at his face. The man holding the wand looked ruffled with his hair tossed in all directions and his robes wrinkled.

"May I help you, Cornelius?" Dumbledore came up behind Harry and placed a calming hand on the young man's shoulder, knowing that if he hadn't Harry might have hexed the Minister all the way down the hall.

"Yes, I want Potter here arrested. Breaking and Entering, destruction of Ministry property, slander, and the casting of an Unforgivable." The Minister seemed wild-eyed that he might actually get something on the boy now.

In a calm and cool voice totally indifferent to the situation Harry turned to Dumbledore to ask. "May I, Sir?" At receiving a nod from the older man, he stepped forward and stared into the eyes of the seemingly crazy man. "Mr. Fudge, first of all there was no breaking as there was no security here during the night, which I find even odder than anything else that I've encountered in the magical world thus far. Next, it would be interesting to see what you're going to do without the financial backing of Mr. Malfoy now that he's been confirmed a Death Eater and you've been taking bribes from him, and finally, now that the world knows that you lied for an entire year about his return, I think many more people will want to know what you plan to do about Voldemort."

Even though Harry kept his voice in a calm and collected fashion there was no denying the power of the words that he had spoken, nor the impact on the rest of the people in the hallway. Several had poked their heads out of offices to see what the argument was about and stared in awe of the young man staring down the Minister of Magic.

"Furthermore" Harry continued. "I find it rather interesting that on your supposed orders, Madam Umbridge used illegal dark arts artifacts on students and threatened to utilize the Unforgivables should she have to." Driving the final nail into the coffin of the man's career he turned and strode purposefully towards the intended destination.

He wasn't stupid or naïve by any stretch of the imagination and kept his ears open and wand ready should he hear a retaliation by the, now most certainly ex, Minister of Magic. When no attack came he breathed a sigh of relief as he passed through the doors and into the chaotic outer office of the DMLE, already seeing two Aurors rushing past him and out into the hall, presumably to question the sputtering man he had left behind.

Dumledore caught up with Harry outside the Director's office and knocked lightly on the glass. On receiving the customary "Enter" from within the pair slipped into the lavish office of Amelia Bones. A large paneled window looked out onto the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic, seemingly repaired from the explosive concussion that had happened months ago. Sitting behind a mahogany desk and scribbling out order son a piece of parchment she looked up when the pair came in.

Amelia Bones was not a woman to be messed with, neither here in her office or even in her younger years at Hogwarts. She has always shown a great deal of power in defense of those laws that she herself had helped to put down. Now behind a desk she didn't let her figure go and still kept up with exercises, the only outward showing of her age came in the slight grey along the long brown tresses of her hair that was pulled back into a stylized braid. On the advice of a colleague she had taken care of the monocle and simply gotten a specialized contact that allowed her to see better than before and looked better for it.

"Please, come in you two. Seems like you've made my life a little easier with your declarations, Mr. Potter, and if you can back it up in court or with memories I don't see why anyone will have to suffer under his supposed leadership again." Here she favored the young man with a soft smile. "Please, do sit."

Sliding into a pair of comfortable chairs in front of the desk, Harry nodded as he had Dumbledore extract a collection of memories into a glass vial that he had conjured. Handing it across the desk he explained. "I've put a few things in there, including Voldemort's resurrection and myself telling Fudge what I had seen, as well as one detention with Umbridge and her declaration of sending the dementors after myself and my cousin."

"One detention, you mean there was more than one instance with an illegal artifact." Madam Bones gaped at the young man in front of her. He nodded and smiled slightly.

"I seem to rack them up telling lies about the fact that we were in danger and needed to learn practical defense and not just theory."

Here the older woman smiled slightly and nodded, putting the vial away into the top drawer of her desk and locking it securely. "Yes, Susan wrote home a few times about the club she had decided to join. Would you care to elaborate, Albus?"

Dumbledore smiled in his usual serene 'I know something good' style and inclined his head towards Harry whom was trying hard not to blush at a veiled compliment. "I believe Mr. Potter here, and Miss Granger organized it as a means to circumvent official Ministry policy in the matter of teaching Defense against the Dark Arts."

"Officially, I should reprimand you." She began and then smiled even bigger. "But considering Susan got an O in defense thanks to your teaching, I guess I can let this one go. Given all the other evidence, I can't believe that Fudge believed Umbridge would be a good teacher at all."

"It is my opinion that, that was the exact point. Fudge got a delusional idea that I was attempting to raise the students as an army against the Ministry, and decided that he would cut off my support at the knees, so to speak. It was rather interesting to see the grade distribution of Defense O.W.L.s across who participated in the study group and who did not." Here Dumbledore withdrew a scroll from his robes and handed it over across the desk.

"Ah yes, the reason that you two are here, I take it." Having taken the parchment she unrolled it and scanned the contents. "Everything seems to be in order here; however there appear to be a few names blurred out, for secrecy I take it?"

"Yes, ma'am." Harry spoke confidently as he sat in the chair, leaning forward slightly. "A few names released would cause some problems, so in the interest of security it was decided that not everyone would be available for comment."

"I suppose in the interest of gaining your trust, Amelia, we can release a few of the names; however a few of them may just shock you." Dumbledore waved his wand over the parchment and a few of the names became legible including the Patils, Lovegood, Tonks, and Granger.

"I see only two corresponding head signatures for both the Patils and the Granger girl. You're taking away one of my aurors as well, impressive. Also, I will need to see the last two names, I might as well." Bones studied the two men in front of her giving them a soft glare in order to comply; it was something that she had picked up working out in the field and interrogating suspects.

Harry sighed a little and motioned to Dumbledore to put up a few extra charms on the office. After done he extracted yet another pair of memories from Harry and placed them in the stone bowel on the desk to be viewed later. Finally, Dumbledore tapped the parchment as the last two names appeared, the Black sisters. It was here that the silencing charms proved to be useful.

"WHAT!?" It was all Amelia Bones was really capable of before Dumbledore calmly directed her towards the two memories in her pensive. The first was of the will reading, but the second was much more informative.

**Flashback**

The room materialized around them after a blinding white flash, they appeared to be in an old cellar with wine racks along one section of the wall and still other odds and ends stacked up along the other walls, most of them gathering dust. In the center of the room were two people, one of them noticeably held down against a chair with thick ropes while the other was standing over her for a moment.

Stepping back from the form of Bellatrix Black was Harry Potter holding a blindfold in one hand and her wand in the other. He felt tainted even touching the evil thing, but he knew that it wasn't the wand that was really tainted. He only had to look down at the woman's arm to know that it was her soul and her body that had been tainted over the many years because of what the dark wizard had done to her. Once her eyes were adjusted to the sudden light Bellatrix tried hard not to sneer at the man in front of her.

"Potter, no, Harry, you freed me from his control. You saved my life that night, even after what I did to Sirius." For her part she did look sad about killing her cousin, staring dejectedly down at the earthen floor of the cellar.

"I guess that means that I've saved your life twice now." He smiled gently. "If you are a good girl then I will let you out; however you're not getting your wand back until you can prove that you won't try and kill me or anyone else again." Harry paused for a second thinking over the ramifications of letting her go. He had already talked it over with Andy, Narcissa, and the others, and most agreed that she could reform.

"Yes, of course, no nonsense. You're a good man, Harry. Bella be a good girl." Of course he had already taken precautions against her like locking up her real wand and keeping her on constant surveillance by the house and the others. She couldn't apparate anywhere in the house and the wards would seal her in if she tried. For now, Harry would let her roam free so long as she didn't do anything stupid.

"You're going to take a truth serum, so I can ask you a few questions." Harry spoke out loud to the bound woman, unwilling to really look at her.

"Truth, what is truth but another lie? Good Bella do whatever her new Ma…er…Sir wishes." She had caught on fast, but kept her speech slightly submissive for the time being. As he dropped three drops of the vial onto her tongue two more figures came out from around corners and from dark corners.

Remus Lupin had hated the woman that was sitting in front of him for so many years and not just for the recent death of his friend, but for many other things as well. Standing at his side as a more moral compass not to curse the woman to hell and back was the aging form of Albus Dumbledore. Placing a hand on each of the young men before him he took charge of the questioning.

"What is your full name?"

"Bellatrix Deneb Black."

"Were you once married to Rudolphus Lestrange?"

"Yes, but no longer."

"Why are you no longer married?"

"Harry Potter, head of house Black resolved my marriage and freed me."

"In what way did he free you?"

"I was under compulsion and mind control potions as well as a dark artifact that was my wedding ring."

"Do you have remorse for your actions as a Death Eater?"

"Yes, it never should have happened. It was my entire mother's fault."

Here Harry had a question that he wanted to ask and after looking to Dumbledore he got what he needed. "Did you participate in the torture of the Longbottoms?"

"No." She hesitated for a moment as if trying to fight the potion, but in truth she was crying silently now. "Crouch, my husband, and brother-in-law led the attack while I tried to shelter baby Neville."

**End Flashback**

The three occupants of the pensieve landed back on the floor of the Director's office. Predictably Harry fell backwards into his chair and sighed a little at the injustice of having to bounce himself around with magical means of transportation. The other two sat calmly and serenely down in their previous chairs and thought over what they had witnessed. Harry and Dumbledore were both there for the questioning, but they were still unsure as to what to make of it all, but one thing was sure, that Bellatrix really did wish to reform.

"I suppose the legal problems would only come about if the three head of house did not condone, but as I understand it, you are their head of house." Seeing Harry nod she continued. "Very well, I'll sign off on it, and even give you both an oath never to speak of this again. However, it might be more prudent to bring these to the attention of the courts. You may be able to get a pardon for the Black sisters, although Bellatrix might be more difficult." With that she penned her signature to the document in front of her and slid it across the table towards the two.

"Thank you, Madam Bones, I know that this is highly irregular, but it's nice to see someone in the Ministry higher ups that can do their job." Harry smiled gently as Dumbledore rolled up the parchment and put it back within his robes.

"I do have a question, if I may Mr. Potter." At seeing Harry's willingness to answer she plowed on ahead with a devious looking smile. "Why did you never ask my niece to be a part of this little arrangement?"


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: One of my wonderful reviewers pointed out that I had changed Tonks' name to Cassie instead of Mary in a chapter before. I apologize for the switch, but I've made the changes and this is a more updated chapter.

While Harry and Dumbledore were at the Ministry sorting everything out with the new contracts and the arrangements for transportation the day after, the women were converging on the house en force. With no Weasleys around to make people lazy or to have them rush around at the last minute, most of the major packing of trunks and the sorting of clothing had been done the day before with only the most essential things left out for the train ride.

It was decided by the Committee of Potter, the girls of the contract now called themselves until they came up with a better name, that Rachel and Claire would have to look as close to their polyjuiced counterparts as possible. With a few changes in hair color, colored contacts, and clothing, the bone structure changes were easily hidden and they could pass as long lost second cousins to the Black family.

It was just after lunch when most of the packing had been completed and a few of the girls decided to go off to do their own thing while waiting for the Ministry's approval. To them this contract would mean that they would all be much closer than ever before, even if they still needed Harry's go ahead if they wanted to date or marry anyone, they knew that he would never restrict them in such a way.

Hermione was sitting on her bed with a new book reading through the course material for Transfiguration for the coming year. Her cat-like looks had toned down a lot over the summer to the point where she only had small pointed ears that would poke through her hair when she was excited, slightly yellowed eyes, sharpened teeth and of course the tail. Professor Snape told her that more than likely everything would be back to normal by the time she returned to school, if not they could always hide her changes, but secretly she was enjoying having a tail.

Hermione's tail slithered out from under the sheets and pushed at a glass of water, moving it closer to the edge of her bedside table. Without looking up from the book she took a sip of it and set it back down, flipping to the next page of her book. She heard the door click open, but thought nothing of it as she continued to read. After a moment she looked up to see Luna sitting on her trunk across the room staring at her, head cocked to the side slightly.

"It's not very polite to stare, you know, Luna." Hermione smiled gently and set the book aside, stretching her arms over her head in a very feline move. Over the past month she had gotten closer to the eccentric Ravenclaw and enjoyed the company of her more and more, so long as she didn't ask about some of the things that Luna said.

"I'm sorry, Hermione, it's just that I didn't want to disturb your reading. I wanted to talk to you about what's going to happen when we go back to school tomorrow." Luna tucked her legs up under her. She was wearing a blue blouse and a long skirt that showed off her pale legs very well.

Hermione shrugged, tugging on the t-shirt that she wore and the faded jeans. For some reason she felt underdressed when faced with Luna, but she pushed that thought aside as she sat on the edge of the bed facing the blonde girl. "I suppose most everything will go back to the way it was before, although our compartment might be a little more crowded than usual."

"That's very true, even without Ginevra and Ronald around we will be a large group. I imagine both Draco and Cho will come looking for Harry at one point, although surrounded by so many females should keep away any interfering nargles or red haired wild fire spitters." Luna said calmly in the soft ethereal voice that everyone had come to expect from her, only a few people had ever seen Luna really upset or serious.

Hermione giggled a little, not in vicious nature towards the other girl, but more like they had shared a quiet private joke. She had come to like the eccentric girl and enjoyed her humor. "Yes, I suppose we will be quite the crowd. Everyone will be talking about Harry having a nice harem of girls, all we need is a Hufflepuff and we'll have a complete set."

"I think Nymphadora was a Puff in school. Getting Harry to agree to the contract was very wise of you, and thank you for including the rest of us. It's like for the first time in my life I have some good friends that I can talk to." Luna said quietly, with only a hint of sadness that no one that didn't know her would be able to pick up.

Hermione slid off the end of the bed and walked over to the younger girl, sitting down on the trunk next to her she did the one thing that no one thought she would do. She wrapped her arms around the girl and hugged her tight against her, resting her head on the girl's shoulder slightly as she whispered into her ear.

"You'll always have friends, Luna. I'll always be here for you, and I'm sure Harry will as well." She smiled gently and pulled away from the blonde, startled to see tears welling up in the girl's eyes. "Luna, what's wrong?"

"I…" She started to say before she started to lean in. Catching Hermione's brown eyes she saw fear and concern at the same time, her own soft blue orbs showing how vulnerable she was at the moment. As the two girls stared at each other their faces slowly started to lean forward until they were inches apart.

The door to the bedroom banged open and a furious dark red haired girl stormed into the room. The two girls sitting on the trunk sprang apart instantly and snapped their wands up before realizing that it was just Rachel storming through the room grabbing things at random and throwing them down. Luna had the foresight to set up cushioning charms so that nothing was damaged and then broached the subject carefully.

"Bella….Rachel, what ever is the matter? Has a spotted horned elephant gotten a hold of your shoes again?"

"Of course not, I just hate this hair. Why can't I have my beautiful black hair back?" Rachel pouted slightly as she threw herself down on one of the beds and stared at the floor. She was dressed in a light grey robe that covered a jumper and a black skirt that she was wearing.

"If your hair was black then you would look more like your old self, and we don't want people to start to think that you're Bellatrix Lestrange, at least not immediately." Hermione tapped her finger to her chin as she spoke.

"People will already be suspicious of two sisters with the last name Black and of course if you get back into Slytherin it will be even worse." Luna waved her hand in an offhanded way before looking back to Rachel.

"Oh, that's right, the sorting." Rachel put a hand to her head a groaned. "If we're both put back into Slytherin then we'll have to be around all those pompous sons and daughters of the Death Eaters. I've met them, they're horrible people, and I can only hope they don't recognize me."

Hermione and Luna both slid off the end of the trunk and came to sit on either side of Rachel, putting their arms comforting around her and rocking her slightly. "Don't worry" Luna started, leaning her head on Rachel's shoulder. "We have the powerful Harry Potter on our side, not to mention the rest of the estrogen squad." This elicited a giggle from the other two girls.

"I think we should come up with a name for ourselves, although Estrogen Squad does fit, it seems a little antiquated and very misogynistic." Hermione said as she thought for a moment, not moving her arms from around Rachel.

"Harry's Happy Harem." Rachel suggested in a whisper, causing the girls to blush again.

"No, I think that one is taken, plus we're not really a harem. It was only a perversion of magical law that allowed such a thing to happen in the first place." Luna thought for a moment as she seemed to stare off into nothing.

"Harry's Honeys?" Hermione suggested, looking to the other two before shaking her head as well. "No, I think that one is taken as well. Oh well, we'll come up with something good before too long I suppose."

The strange trio of girls sat there for a long time, simply considering what was going to happen in the school year to come. With three new students being added, they wanted to be close by, but knew the advantage to themselves as well as to Harry if they were placed in different houses. The house rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindor never seemed to cause so much trouble as it was going to cause this year.

After a few more minutes the door to the bedroom slammed open again and two girls roughly the same height walked into the room already deep in a serious discussion. The dirty blonde wore battered black robes, but a refined silk shirt and a black pleated skirt underneath, while her companion wore jeans and a tight "Weird Sisters" t-shirt looking more like a goth punk with short spiky black hair.

"We really should start locking that door more often." Luna said in a soft ethereal voice, gaining the attention of the two newest people to the discussion.

"We didn't see you there." Claire spoke softly as she plopped down on the bed behind her sister, leaning against her and adding to the somewhat impromptu group hug. "Our dear niece here, was just trying to convince me to…how did you put it…'let my hair down'." This of course garnered a snort from the red haired girl in the center of their group.

"Please, the last time Cissy took that stick out of her-" Rachel started, only to be interrupted by a flying pillow that she ducked easily. "I think it was when muggles were wearing bell bottom pants." She giggled slightly at the sour look from her sister. A minute later the two girls were rolling around on the bed giggling as each tried to tickle the other.

"Come on, Claire." Tonks, or the happily renamed Cassie, wanted to continue their previous argument with reinforcements. "You're a teenager again; can't you act your age just once?" She put on her best pouty face for her aunt, thinking that what had worked on her mother might work again.

Claire glared at her one time niece and new sister. It seemed odd at first to consider the younger woman a sister, but then she remembered that they were all teenagers once again. "Don't you try that, that's the same look I used on my mother when we used to get in trouble."

"Damn, that's where I inherited it from." Cassie stared down at her hands for a moment until she suddenly launched herself into the group tickling anyone she could. The move caused all the girls to fall backwards onto the bed and thrash around for a few minutes until a soft purring could be heard.

"Whoever that is, please do not stop touching my tail." Hermione groaned and then blushed as she processed what she had said. The girls all giggled and then fell back into a light conversation about the year to come.

XoXo

September first had arrived at last to the occupants of 12 Grimmauld Place. For some it didn't seem to come fast enough while others were dreading the return trip just as much as the adults having to leave them. With the three new girls being situated and conditioned by the other sixth years they felt comfortable being able to blend into the society of Hogwarts, even if two of them ended up back with the snakes in the dungeons.

It was a refreshing time for Harry and Hermione as they sat calmly at breakfast, eating a good amount of food courtesy of Dobby and Kreacher. Being so used to the hectic morning routine of having to finish packing, or start, that the Weasleys had always instilled in the pair, it was nice to simply sit back and enjoy the morning and then leave at a good time to get to the platform.

The large group of nearly fifteen people took two tubes to King's Cross, and then through the barrier to Platform nine and three quarters. For some it was the welcomed sight of the scarlet steam engine while others were more apprehensive about having to learn the castle all over again. One thing was for sure though, and that was that they were going to take care of each other no matter what.

"Are you sure that you packed enough books, Hermione?" Harry smiled and joked as he helped the young woman with her trunk towards the train. Looking up he saw a flash of yellow eyes and a feral grin.

"No, Harry, the others I'm going to have my parents' owl using Hedwig." Said owl hooted indignantly at the girl as if to tell her there was no chance in hell she was going to carry fifty pounds of books to Scotland.

The three returning students were used to the shoving and the families yelling over the sounds of others to find their friends. They waved to a few members from last year's DA as well as others from their house, but kept in a close knit group due to security reasons. This of course was Moody's idea; he of course was now scanning the crowd with his magical eye almost spinning in its socket as fast as it could go. Harry always did wonder how he was able to process things so quickly, but brushed it off as they moved towards the train.

"What if someone recognizes us?" Claire wrung her hands in front of her as she was being marched on either side by her sister and Cassie.

"Will you stop worrying, Claire?" Rachel put emphasis on the name as she gripped her sister's arm and led her towards the train. "We're going to do just fine, Harry is going to protect us and we'll be just fine, maybe a little sore in the morning, but overall fantastic fun." The gleam in her eye had the other two wondering if she was joking or not.

"We're going to make sure that you have fun this time; snog boys in broom cupboards; try out for the Quidditch team, the whole works. We're going to make sure that you have a wonderful year this time around." Cassie said from the other side of her. She had finally settled on her natural look with long black hair that made Rachel slightly envious.

Claire blushed slightly as she thought about sneaking around the castle at night with a boy; unbidden images of a certain wizard came to mind and a few of them together squashed heatedly in a broom closet, but she pushed them down even as a blush came to her cheeks. "Ok, ok, but I'm still going to work hard on my homework, I refuse to be helpless this time around."

Harry and Hermione were apart from some of the larger group saying goodbye to Hermione's parents. They had promised to write and Harry said that he would send along his owl whenever Hermione needed something or even if they just wanted to talk. Exchanging heartfelt goodbyes with the other adults, Harry started to feel like he had finally found a real family. He was surrounded by people that truly loved him and cared for him and he was going to protect them as best as he possibly could.

As the nine teens stepped onto the steam engine, hearing the final blast of the whistle, they crowded into a nearby compartment. Leaning out of the window to wave goodbye one last time to their parents, guardians, teachers, and friends, of the summer they saw a small crowd of redheads bound through the barrier and break into a run for the train. Most of them snickered as they saw a lanky redhaired boy with a bagel stuffed in his mouth and a trunk slung on his shoulders racing to the train followed by a short girl trying to smooth down her hair and drag a trunk at the same time.

As the people around him settled down, Harry smiled surveying his family. The girls had gotten along very well since the beginning and now they seemed to chat quite well with one another. The addition of Parvati, Padma and Lavender to their group only added to the weirdness of the small collection, but they were welcomed with open arms. As the steam engine pulled away from the platform, Harry looked over his shoulder to see the Patils, Browns, Grangers, and the Order waving to them all and the only words he could think that would be appropriate came from Shakespeare.

"Once more unto the breech."

A/N: So that's it! My first real Harry Potter fan fiction is complete. Please read and review. I own nothing of course, and if you want to see more please let me know. I am in the process of creating a sequel that goes through the sixth and seventh year, but with work I'm not sure I'll be able to post it. Let me know through your reviews if you want to see it though.


	21. Author's Note

All right, so a few people have added a story alert to this story, I can't imagine why considering it's completed, but I figured I would give them something to chew on. I've uploaded the first three chapters of the sequel and I'm on my way to working on more. The more reviews and positive feedback that I get the faster the story will come out, that is of course until someone comes up with a way to bend the space-time continuum, and then I can get a lot of work done. So, enjoy the new story and I can't wait to hear the scathing reviews.


End file.
